Summary
An uncut printer's sheet of Banksy's "Di-Faced Tenners" — spoof British ten-pound notes that swap Queen Elizabeth II's portrait for the face of Princess Diana and rename the issuing authority "Banksy of England," with "Bank of England" replaced by "Banksy" and other satirical alterations to the standard £10 design. The sheet shown carries five rows of two notes (the orange Diana-portrait face beside the grey reverse), pencil-annotated at the lower edge; it is among the most recognizable and conceptually loaded objects in Banksy's catalogue.
Why It Matters
Di-Faced Tenners collapses three of Banksy's favourite targets — money, monarchy and celebrity — into a single forged object. By replacing the sovereign with Diana, the "people's princess" whose image was endlessly monetized by the media, and by literally counterfeiting legal tender (£1 million worth was printed), Banksy turned currency into a readymade critique of capitalism and the cult of fame. The notes famously escaped the gallery: bundles were thrown into the crowd at Notting Hill Carnival and London's 2004 Reading Festival, and some were reportedly accepted as real cash in shops. The work sits at the intersection of art, prank and political statement, and a complete uncut sheet preserves the moment before the object was cut into the "money" Banksy intended to scatter.
Collector Perspective
First Edition Di-Faced Tenners were issued in a Giclée edition of just 45, making this one of the genuinely scarce Banksy works on the market rather than a mass-issue POW screenprint. Single notes surface occasionally, but full uncut sheets like this one — showing multiple notes in their printer's state with original pencil annotation — are considerably harder to find and command a premium for their completeness and display impact. As with all Banksy paper, condition and provenance are decisive: the small edition size, the iconic subject matter and the object's authentication history (Banksy-authenticated examples carry far stronger demand than loose unauthenticated notes) drive value. This is a blue-chip name with deep, liquid demand, but buyers should insist on clear provenance given how widely the notes were distributed and reproduced.
Historical Context
Produced in 2004 during Banksy's peak Stencil Boom Era, Di-Faced Tenners references the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the relentless tabloid commodification of her image, while skewering the authority of the Bank of England itself. The notes were not made for the wall — Banksy printed roughly £1 million in face value and released bundles into festival and carnival crowds, where their convincing detail meant some entered circulation as if real, briefly raising the spectre of actual forgery. The work prefigures Banksy's later large-scale interventions in money and consumerism, from the Walled Off Hotel to Gross Domestic Product, and remains the artist's definitive statement on currency.
FAQ
What does this work depict?
It is an uncut sheet of Banksy's spoof British £10 notes. Each note replaces Queen Elizabeth II with the face of Princess Diana and changes 'Bank of England' to 'Banksy of England,' alongside other satirical alterations to the standard tenner design.
What is the edition size?
This First Edition is a Giclée edition of 45.
Is it signed?
The listing does not specify a signature. Di-Faced Tenners examples vary; this sheet carries a pencil edition annotation at the lower edge. Buyers should confirm signing and authentication details directly, as Banksy-authenticated examples carry materially stronger demand.
What is the medium?
Giclée print, produced in 2004.
Why is it called 'Di-Faced Tenners'?
The title is a pun on 'defaced' — the notes are deliberately altered currency — and on 'Di,' for Princess Diana, whose portrait replaces the Queen's.
Who is Banksy?
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist who emerged from Bristol in the early 1990s, known for fast stencil work, dark humour and anti-capitalist, anti-establishment imagery, as well as high-profile stunts.
About the Artist
Banksy is an anonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose identity remains officially unconfirmed. Emerging from the Bristol underground scene in the early 1990s, he developed a fast, stencil-based technique for working in public space, pairing dark humour with anti-war, anti-capitalist and anti-establishment messages. Recurring motifs include rats, monkeys, riot police, and children with balloons or weapons. Many of his prints were published through Pictures on Walls and rank among the most heavily traded in the secondary market, while stunts such as the self-shredding Girl with Balloon, the Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem and the Gross Domestic Product homeware line have made him one of the most recognised artists in the world.
Collecting Banksy at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic Banksy prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of Banksy prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new Banksy prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across Banksy and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.