The Bank of England is replacing historical figures on its banknotes with depictions of native UK wildlife following a series of public and internal consultations.

英格蘭銀行在經過一系列公眾與內部諮詢後，決定將鈔票上的歷史人物更換為英國本土野生動物的圖案。

The transition in currency design is predicated upon a shift in institutional priorities regarding national representation. According to the Bank of England, a public consultation involving 44,000 respondents indicated a preference for nature-themed imagery over other proposed categories, such as architecture or historical events. This preference was subsequently validated through commissioned focus groups. Consequently, a shortlist of fauna—including the bottlenose dolphin, red fox, and common frog—has been established for the £5, £10, £20, and £50 denominations.

貨幣設計的轉變是基於機構對國家代表性優先考量的改變。根據英格蘭銀行的說法，一項有 44,000 人參與的公眾諮詢顯示，相較於建築物或歷史事件等其他建議類別，大眾更偏好自然主題的圖案。此偏好隨後透過委託的焦點小組得到驗證。因此，5 英鎊、10 英鎊、20 英鎊與 50 英鎊面額的鈔票已建立了一份動物候選名單，包括寬吻海豚、赤狐與普通蛙。

Parallel to the public data, reports indicate that the decision was influenced by a study conducted by Savanta, a market research consultancy. The consultancy's findings suggested that the inclusion of historical figures, such as Sir Winston Churchill and Jane Austen, was perceived as elitist and failed to reflect the contemporary cultural diversity of the United Kingdom. The research posited that such portraits projected a retrospective vision of the state and carried a risk of social division. Furthermore, the consultancy advised against the use of Georgian or Victorian architecture due to associations with colonialism and slavery, and cautioned that certain natural landmarks, such as the White Cliffs of Dover, might be linked to immigration concerns.

除公眾數據外，報告指出此決定受到市場研究諮詢公司 Savanta 的研究影響。該諮詢公司的調查結果顯示，納入溫斯頓邱吉爾爵士與珍·奧斯汀等歷史人物，被視為過於精英主義，且未能反映當前英國的文化多樣性。研究認為，此類肖像投射出一個回顧性的國家願景，並具有造成社會分歧的風險。此外，該諮詢公司建議不要使用喬治時代或維多利亞時代的建築，因其與殖民主義及奴隸制度相關，並提醒某些自然地標（例如多佛白崖）可能會與移民問題掛鉤。

This policy shift has precipitated a polarized political response. Various political actors, including representatives from Reform UK and the Conservative Party, have characterized the initiative as an ideological erasure of British history. This critique situates the Bank's decision within a broader institutional trend of reassessing colonial legacies, comparable to recent initiatives undertaken by the National Trust and the BBC. Conversely, the Bank maintains that the transition is a positive evolution and notes that wildlife imagery may offer superior resistance to counterfeiting compared to human portraits.

這次政策轉向引起了兩極化的政治反應。包括來自英國改革黨與保守黨代表在內的許多政治人物，將此舉形容為對英國歷史的意識形態抹除。這種批評將銀行的決定置於一個更廣泛的機構趨勢中，即重新評估殖民遺產，與國家信託及 BBC 近期採取的行動相似。相反地，英格蘭銀行堅持認為此次轉變是積極的演進，並指出野生動物圖案相較於人類肖像具有更強的防偽能力。

The final selection of wildlife imagery will be determined by Governor Andrew Bailey, with a formal announcement expected by the conclusion of 2026.

最終的野生動物圖案選擇將由行長 Andrew Bailey 決定，預計於 2026 年底前正式公佈。