Move over Charles, thereโs a new face for the fiver โ and heโs biting the head off inflation! Artist Dion Kitson has gone full heavy-metal banker, hand-cutting and designing 1,000 special edition Ozzy Osbourne-themed bank notes as a tribute to the Prince of Darkness himself. And honestly, they look so good weโd be tempted to pay council tax just to hand one over.
These arenโt just dodgy Photoshop jobs โ every note has been carefully crafted, printed, and lovingly detailed by Kitson, blending classic UK currency style with proper Brummie rock royalty. Itโs the ultimate mix of art, heritage, and heavy metal mischief.
๐ท WHATโS ON THE NOTES?
The designs scream Back to the Beginning โ a nod to both Ozzyโs career and his recent return to Birmingham for the Black Sabbath: The Ballet and the massive โWorking Class Heroโ exhibition. Hereโs the breakdown:
ยฃ50 Note โ A moody, monochrome Ozzy staring right into your soul, with Birmingham Childrenโs Hospital in the background. Big riffs, bigger heart. ยฃ20 Note โ Younger Ozzy in his long-haired, wide-eyed glory, with industrial smokestacks and the quote: โHe was burned to dust in the great magnetic field, when he travelled time for the future of mankind.โ (Lyrics from Sabbathโs โIron Manโ โ tidy touch!) Other Denominations โ Black Sabbath band portraits, Birmingham landmarks, and even Villa Park sneaking in for a bit of local pride.
Every single one of them is dripping with nostalgia and Brummie grit. Honestly, if the Bank of England had any sense, weโd have had these in circulation already.
๐จ WHY THIS MATTERS
Dion Kitson isnโt just making souvenirs โ heโs creating folk art with attitude. In a city that owes so much to heavy metal, these notes feel like proper hometown medals.
And letโs be honest, Ozzy is currency in Birmingham. Heโs worth more than gold, probably smells like whiskey and hair dye, and has been cashing in pure chaos since 1968. These notes are a love letter to the man, the myth, and the mosh pit.
๐ด โMAMA, IโM COMING HOMEโ โ IN STYLE
The series title, Back To The Beginning, is plastered proudly across the notes โ a perfect nod to Ozzyโs full-circle journey from Aston lad to global rock god, back to his roots.
And itโs not just fans going wild โ these things have become collector gold dust overnight. With just 1,000 made, theyโll be rarer than a pint at Download Festival without a queue.
๐ก OUR TAKE
We need to see these in actual wallets. Imagine your Tesco self-checkout voice going:
โUnexpected item in bagging area. Is itโฆ Ozzy Osbourne?โ
This isnโt just art โ itโs metal history on paper. From the fine print to the inky riffs, Kitsonโs managed to make legal tender thatโs worth more to rock fans than Bitcoin, NFTs, or that signed drumstick you nicked from a gig in โ03.
Diolch, Dion โ this is a proper job. Now, can we get a Lemmy ยฃ5 note next? Asking for a friendโฆ ๐ฅ๐ค
