Di-Faced Tenners (Pink)

Banksy’s famous Di Faced Tenners was produced by Banksy to look like a British £10 note, but with some controversial differences. It quickly became one of the most notorious art projects Britain has ever seen when people began using them as actual currency following the release.

In Di Faced Tenners, Banksy replaces the portrait of the Queen of England, Elizabeth II with a portrait of Diana, Prince Charles’ former wife and mother to Princes William and Harry. Diana, Princess of Wales passed away in 1997 and was known to have had a turbulent relationship with the Royal family. Banksy produced an edition of 50, which is said to have totalled some £1,000,000 in fake ten pound notes. On the reverse of the note, Banksy has written Trust No One beneath Charles Darwin, as well as using the words “Banksy of America”, he seems to be converging cultures in order to critically comment on capitalism.

The tenners found their way into people’s pockets during 2004 when they were dropped over crowds at UK Festivals, in Notting Hill and Reading. People attempted to use the Di-Faced (a pun on the word defaced, no doubt) tenners in pubs and venues around the drop zones. But they were quickly sought out and removed from circulation. Over a decade later, in 2015, it was said that the Di-Faced tenders had returned and were being distributed at Banksy’s Dismaland in Weston Super Mare, but this transpired to be a hoax.