Foxes, sharks and puffins in line to replace historic figures on UK banknotes

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · Jun 03, 2026 · 390 words · By Reuters

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What to know about Foxes, sharks and puffins in line to replace historic figures on UK banknotes

By Suban Abdulla and Marissa Davison In all, the Bank of England and wildlife experts have selected 18 animals for the public to choose from after a consultation last year determined the choice of theme.

Claims checked 9

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Not everyone is happy and leaders of Britain’s opposition political parties, including the Conservatives, Reform UK, and the Liberal Democrats have all said it will remove important figures from the public eye.

Common ground

The reigning British monarch has been on British bank notes since 1960 and will continue to appear on the next series, which is some years away from coming into circulation, the Bank of England said.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Foxes, sharks and puffins in line to replace historic figures on UK banknotes?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that The reigning British monarch has been on British bank notes since 1960?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-06-03-foxes-sharks-and-puffins-in-l…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 6

verified Verified By Reference 1

info Single Source 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

verified

Claim 1: “The reigning British monarch has been on British bank notes since 1960”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of dictionary definitions and unrelated Wikipedia entries (British Airways, etc.). There is no specific evidence provided confirming the date the monarch started appearing on banknotes.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — British may refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — British Airways operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. It operates a single-aisle fleet of Airbus A320 family aircraft. It also operates a twin-aisle fleet of Airbus A350, Airbus A380, Boeing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_fleet

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "The British Grenadiers" is a traditional marching song of British and Commonwealth military units whose badge of identification features a grenade, the tune of which dates from the 17th century. It i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_British_Grenadiers

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 2: “leaders of Britain’s opposition political parties, including the Conservatives, Reform UK, and the Liberal Democrats have all said it will remove important figures from the public eye”

SINGLE SOURCE

Only one search result mentions the Liberal Democrat leader's reaction to the replacement of historical figures. There is no evidence in the provided results that the Conservative or Reform UK leaders made this specific statement.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Daniel Thomas (born c. 1981) is a British politician who has served as leader of the opposition in Wales and leader of Reform UK Wales since 2026. He was elected as a member of the Senedd (MS) for Cas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Thomas

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Reform UK politicians. Most politicians have defected from other parties and some have left Reform UK since joining. All eight of Reform UK's MPs have been Conservative Party members…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Reform_UK_politicians

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Reform UK is a right-wing populist and far-right political party in the United Kingdom. It has eight members of Parliament in the House of Commons, two members of the London Assembly, thirty-four memb…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_UK

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 3: “The full list of animals is: the bottlenose dolphin, Atlantic puffin, Atlantic salmon, brown hare, barn owl, basking shark, European hedgehog, common kingfisher, buff-tailed bumblebee, grey seal, Eurasian curlew, common frog, pine marten, great spotted woodpecker, emperor dragonfly, red fox, white-tailed eagle and the marsh fritillary butterfly.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results that lists the specific 18 animals mentioned in the claim.

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Claim 4: “People can recommend which animals they want to feature alongside the monarch before July 3”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly state that the deadline for the public vote is the end of July 3.

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web search NEUTRAL — Public vote opens. The new banknotes will each feature one animal or bird, but the public will be able to select up to two of their favourites from each of three categories on the shortlist before the…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/puffin-bumblebe…

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web search NEUTRAL — Public vote opens. The new banknotes will each feature one creature, but the public will be able to select up to two of their favourites from each of three categories on the shortlist before the deadl…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgzrpe6mzjo

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web search NEUTRAL — UK banknotes are set to feature native wildlife for the first time, with puffins, dolphins, bumblebees and 15 other species shortlisted in a public vote that puts beloved British animals at the center…
https://impactful.ninja/uk-banknotes-feature-puffins-dolphin…

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Claim 5: “will continue to appear on the next series, which is some years away from coming into circulation, the Bank of England said”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that the next series of banknotes will feature wildlife but will still include a portrait of the monarch.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker and debt m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_England

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bank of England £50 note is a sterling banknote circulated in the United Kingdom. It is the highest denomination of banknote currently issued for public circulation by the Bank of England. The cur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_England_£50_note

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the bank, with the incumbent c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_the_Bank_of_Englan…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “a decision is due by the end of the year”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that the outcome/decision will be announced by the end of 2026.

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web search NEUTRAL — DECISION definition: the act or process of deciding; determination, as of a question or doubt, by making a judgment. See examples of decision used in a sentence.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/decision

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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 24, 2026 · The meaning of DECISION is the act or process of deciding. How to use decision in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decision

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web search NEUTRAL — DECISION definition: 1. a choice that you make about something after thinking about several possibilities: 2. the…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/decision

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Claim 7: “the Bank of England and wildlife experts have selected 18 animals for the public to choose from”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that the Bank of England and wildlife experts selected 18 animals for the public to choose from for future banknotes.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom, has issued banknotes since 1694. In 1921 the Bank of England gained a legal monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales, a proc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_England_note_issues

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “The BoE said Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision”

CORROBORATED

Three separate web search results explicitly state that Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision based on public feedback.

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web search NEUTRAL — Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision, taking into account feedback from the public. Some of the wildlife that could feature on the next banknotes, including Atlantic sal…
https://www.standard.co.uk/business/money/bank-of-england-pe…

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web search NEUTRAL — The bank said it may not necessarily choose the four animals that receive the highest number of responses. Andrew Bailey, the bank's governor, will make the final decision while "taking into account" …
https://www.business-live.co.uk/retail-consumer/18-creatures…

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web search NEUTRAL — Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey will make the final decision, with the outcome announced by the end of 2026, and the new series expected to launch several years later, still featuring a portrai…
https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/bank-of-england-…

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Claim 9: “four animals will be selected, one each to appear on the £5, £10, £20, and £50 banknotes”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that the next generation of £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes will feature images of native UK wildlife.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many Eas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Four (stylised as FOUR; formerly TV4) was the second New Zealand television channel owned and operated by MediaWorks New Zealand, broadcast via the state-owned Kordia transmission network. The channel…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_(New_Zealand_TV_channel)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Four Seasons is an American comedy drama series created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield for Netflix, starring Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte. It is an adaptation o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Seasons_(TV_series)

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.