An island-sized design question has returned to the fore: should jersey update its banknotes to reflect recent moves on the mainland where wildlife will replace historical figures on Bank of England notes? With Jersey’s series last refreshed in 2010 and more than £93m of local notes circulating at the end of 2025, the debate is as much about identity as it is about timing and public value.
Why Jersey should reconsider its banknotes
The immediate prompt for discussion is a change in English note design: the Bank of England will feature British wildlife on its next series. That shift has renewed attention to Jersey’s own imagery. Jersey’s current notes retain the late Queen Elizabeth II alongside local landmarks and carry a Jersey cow watermark, while Bank of England notes bearing King Charles III entered circulation in 2024. Guernsey has already moved in a different direction, deciding in 2024 that its next notes, due from 2027, will not feature a portrait of King Charles and will invite local artists to propose fresh designs. The options for jersey therefore sit between following an English model, pursuing a locally driven redesign, or postponing change.
What lies beneath the headline: stocks, costs and consultation
On practical grounds, a redesign is not imminent. The Treasury and Exchequer said Jersey explored the possibility of new notes in 2025 but holds a significant stock of the D‑class family in reserve. Government figures show about £93m of Jersey notes were in circulation at the end of 2025, and minimum print runs are required to achieve value for money in a smaller jurisdiction. The Treasury emphasized that existing reserves will be used before determining preferred designs, an approach intended to avoid unnecessary costs and to ensure value is maintained on behalf of the public. That inventory and the economics of printing mean decisions are likely to be some time away.
Still, design choices are not purely technical. For an island where finance and farming coexist, banknotes function as a quiet but revealing snapshot of how the community sees itself—its culture and priorities. Jersey’s 1989 series showcased birds such as Dartford warblers, oystercatchers and brent geese; the current notes recall agricultural identity with a Jersey cow watermark. The central question is whether future notes should foreground historical figures, local artists, wildlife, or other symbols, and how that choice will read to residents and visitors alike.
Expert perspectives and the politics of imagery
Debate over banknote imagery has become entangled with broader cultural arguments about value and identity. Dr Michael J Richardson, Senior lecturer in human geography, Newcastle University, argues that focusing on wildlife versus historical figures can be translated into a false political choice between attention to animals and attention to people, warning that the issue is ultimately about which values public symbols recognise. His framing highlights that decisions about banknote imagery for jersey are as much about civic narrative as they are about aesthetic preference.
The Treasury and Exchequer has identified public consultation as an option for the next series, though no decision has been made on how any redesign would be handled. That opens a path for residents to weigh in on whether the island’s next notes should echo the mainland’s nature-first approach, follow Guernsey’s turn to local artists, or prioritise continuity with royal portraiture and established landmarks.
Regional ripple: Guernsey’s choice and what it means for Jersey
Guernsey’s 2024 decision to exclude a portrait of King Charles from its next notes and to invite local artists exposes a real alternative model for small jurisdictions: lean into local creativity rather than mirror a national central bank. Jersey may face a similar choice. The island’s government has signalled pragmatism—using existing stock and minimum print-run economies—while leaving open the question of consultation and design philosophy. That balance between fiscal prudence and symbolic renewal will shape the timeline and content of any change.
The broader implication is that banknote design in small jurisdictions is both a technical procurement exercise and a statement about identity. The presence of sizeable reserves and specific minimum print-run requirements means timing will be dictated by cost-efficiency as much as public sentiment.
As Jersey considers whether to follow an English design trend, to emulate Guernsey’s artist-led route, or to maintain traditional portraiture, the island must reconcile economic constraints with a question of representation: what images best reflect its culture, priorities and sense of self? Will the next series be decided by stock management and print economics, or by a democratic conversation about identity that reaches beyond the banknote itself?
