Showing posts with label Currency. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Currency. Show all posts

Wednesday, 3 June 2026

#588: UK wildlife on British banknotes - the shortlist.

The shortlisted animals which may appear on bank notes from the Bank of England have been revealed.



The replacement of historical characters, particularly Sir Winston Churchill, with British wildlife sent political leaders into a frenzy of condemnation earlier this year.

But now people have a month to offer their views about which species of wildlife should be honoured on the £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes.

The shortlist, chosen by a panel of wildlife experts, excluded household pets. People will be able to vote for up to six of their favourites from the shortlist, external.

The mammals are: the bottlenose dolphin, the brown hare, the European hedgehog, the grey seal, the pine marten and the red fox.

The second category of birds feature: the Atlantic puffin, the barn owl, the common kingfisher, the Eurasian curlew, the great spotted woodpecker, and the white-tailed eagle.

The final section of amphibians, insects and fish, has: the Atlantic salmon, the basking shark, the buff-tailed bumblebee, the common frog, the Emperor dragonfly, and the marsh fritillary butterfly.

Sunday, 15 October 2023

#128: Putting a value on nature

 A nice context for some creative work and discussions perhaps.

The Royal Mint has announced the release of a new set of coinage, despite the reduced use of coins 
generally.

The coins will enter circulation by the end of the year, marking the new reign of King Charles III and celebrating his love of the natural world.



The tails side of every coin from the 1p to the £2 will feature the country's flora and fauna.

They also feature large numbers, which are apparently designed to help children count with money. 

They are designed to show the importance, and precariousness, of the natural world:

1p: A hazel dormouse, which has seen its population halve since 2007

2p: A red squirrel, which is expected to blend into the colour of the copper coin

5p: An oak tree leaf, signifying its role as a rich habitat for biodiversity in woodland areas and an association with monarchy of the past

10p: The capercaillie - the world's largest grouse - found in a small part of Scotland and threatened with extinction

20p: A puffin

50p: The Atlantic salmon, which is at threat from river pollution and habitat loss

£1: Bees

£2: National flowers - a rose for England, a daffodil for Wales, a thistle for Scotland and a shamrock for Northern Ireland

Image: via Royal Mint Twitter feed.

#643: The Path More Travelled

A cross posting from my Geo Library blog project - what do you mean you haven't visited? There's over 700 books that would be of in...