(Fr)agile
1 work
Banksy Rude Copper (Signed) For Sale
Banksy
Rude Copper (Signed), 2002
Screen print Signed and numbered
16 1/2 x 13 3/8 in 42 x 34 cm
Edition
Edition of 100
About this work
Released in 2002, Rude Copper marked Banksy's inaugural print release. This artwork, showcasing the artist's disdain for authority, portrays a British policeman defiantly gesturing with an extended middle finger. Executed in Banksy's distinctive black and white stencil style, the piece employs the perspectival technique of 'foreshortening,' creating the illusion that the officer's hand extends beyond the frame, moving towards the viewer.The depicted figure dons a custodian helmet, a traditional headgear worn by police in England and Wales during patrols. This choice harks back to the nostalgic charm of television programs like Heartbeat, which romanticized the police force. The model for Rude Copper was the artist Jay Jay Burridge, rumored to share a studio adjacent to Banksy's. The familiar and benevolent image of the 'Bobby' is subverted as the figure, half-shadowed and staring insolently, challenges the viewer's perception, suggesting an imposter in police uniform. Banksy's satire critiques modern policing methods, asserting that the depicted character is far from embodying the qualities of a true 'copper.'Inspired by the 2000 Terrorism Act, which granted police the authority to conduct searches without suspicion (overruled by a European Court of Human Rights ruling in 2010), Rude Copper powerfully communicates a message. With the forceful gesture of 'giving the finger,' Banksy appears to caution the public about being wary of authorities. Simultaneously, the artwork implies the legal system's disregard for the marginalized and hints at potential issues of corruption and racism within the police force.Banksy, renowned for critiquing establishments and their representatives, has created other prints with similar themes. Works like Flying Coppers, Kissing Coppers, Applause, CND Soldiers, Golf Sale, Happy Choppers, and Have a Nice Day touch on various societal issues. Some pieces criticize the trivialization of warfare, while others, such as Turf War, Queen Victoria, and Monkey Queen, satirize historical rulers in the UK.
Price on Application
Auction History
Rude Copper · Banksy · Bonhams · 2021-10 · $155,050
Rude Copper · Banksy · Bonhams · 2024-03 · $89,400
Rude Copper · Banksy · Christie's · 2025-09 · $68,872
Rude Copper · Banksy · Koller · 2020-12 · $67,030
Rude Copper · Banksy · Heritage Auctions · 2019-07 · $62,500
More from this series
More series by Banksy
About the Rude Copper Series
Banksy Rude Copper Prints For Sale
The Rude Copper series (2002) stands as one of Banksy's most provocative early screen prints, capturing the artist's irreverent critique of authority during a pivotal moment in his career. Created at a time when Banksy was transitioning from pure street art to limited edition prints, this series depicts a police officer raising his middle finger—a bold subversion of law enforcement imagery that established many of the anti-authoritarian themes that would define his practice. The work's stark confrontation between state power and individual defiance resonated immediately with collectors and remains among the most sought-after pieces from Banksy's earlyprint catalog.
Technically, the series demonstrates Banksy's mastery of screen printing and his innovative approach to creating variations within limited editions. The collection includes multiple versions: signed and unsigned variants, the distinctive hand-finished editions featuring unique embellishments, and specialized colorways including the highly collectible Anarchy Grey edition. These hand-finished works, where Banksy added individual touches to each print, are particularly prized by collectors for their unique characteristics and direct connection to the artist's hand. The edition size and printing technique align with Banksy's early collaboration with established print studios, representing a crucial period when his work began transitioning from street to gallery.
From a market perspective, the Rude Copper series has demonstrated remarkable appreciation and stability. Signed editions command significant premiums over unsigned versions, while hand-finished variants occupy the highest tier of collectibility within the series. The 2002 date positions these works within Banksy's "golden period" of print production, predating his explosive mainstream recognition but post-dating his initial underground emergence. Collectors value the series not only for its artistic merit and cultural commentary but also as a foundational piece in understanding Banksy's evolution as a commercially successful artist who maintained his anti-establishment ethos.
For authenticated works from the Rude Copper series and expert guidance on Banksy acquisitions, contact Guy Hepner, a leading authority in contemporary and street art.
About Banksy
Banksy prints for sale at Guy Hepner include authenticated signed and unsigned editions: Girl with Balloon, Choose Your Weapon, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Laugh Now, and Flower Thrower. Buy Banksy prints in New York through our gallery at 177 Tenth Avenue — all works sourced with full provenance and authentication documentation. We also buy Banksy art and offer free valuations for sellers.
Banksy is the world’s most celebrated anonymous street artist — a figure whose identity remains unknown but whose visual language is instantly recognisable across continents. Emerging from the Bristol graffiti scene in the early 1990s, Banksy developed a stencil-based technique that allowed rapid, precise execution on walls, bridges, and public surfaces from London and New York to Gaza and the West Bank. His work fuses dark humour, political provocation, and formal rigour in a way that has made him equally at home on the street and in the auction room. Today, Banksy art for sale represents one of the most dynamic and hotly contested segments of the contemporary secondary market.
Banksy Art For Sale
Banksy art for sale encompasses original spray-painted canvases, unique works on board, signed and unsigned print editions, and — on rare occasions — documented wall works sold with photographic authentication. The breadth of subjects he has addressed is remarkable: consumer capitalism (Tesco Soup Cans, Trolley Hunters), celebrity culture (Kate Moss, Andy Warhol), surveillance and control (Radar Rat, CCTV Watching), and hope and fragility (Girl with Balloon, Fragile).
The benchmark auction event in Banksy’s market history remains the October 2018 Sotheby’s London sale, when Girl with Balloon — having just sold for £1.04 million — was partially shredded by a device concealed in the frame, becoming Love is in the Bin. The reconstituted work subsequently sold in October 2021 for £18.5 million, underscoring the extraordinary commercial power of Banksy’s interventions and the appetite of the global collector base for his most iconic imagery.
Banksy Paintings For Sale
Banksy paintings for sale — unique spray-painted works on canvas or board — are the rarest and most valuable category of his output. These works, typically produced in small numbers for specific shows or commissions, carry full documentation from Pest Control and have appeared at auction with results ranging from six to eight figures. Choose Your Weapon, Monkey Parliament, and large-format stencil canvases from his early 2000s output represent the apex of private collector demand.
Provenance is paramount for Banksy paintings. Unbroken ownership history from first sale through to the present day, combined with a current Pest Control certificate, is the minimum standard for any serious acquisition. Works without this documentation carry substantial authentication risk regardless of visual appearance.
Banksy Prints: Signed vs Unsigned
Banksy print editions form the most accessible and widely traded category of his market. Published through his own distribution channels and in very limited numbers, these screenprints exist in signed and unsigned variants — a distinction that has a significant impact on value. Signed editions — with Banksy’s hand signature — command multiples of two to five times comparable unsigned editions in the same print run.
Key print series sought by collectors include: Girl with Balloon (multiple colourways), Choose Your Weapon, Kate Moss, Tesco Soup Cans, Fragile, Radar Rat, Flower Thrower, and Di-Faced Tenners. Edition sizes vary from as few as 150 to several hundred, and sell-through rates at auction confirm strong secondary demand across all major series.
Banksy Authentication: Pest Control
Pest Control is Banksy’s official authentication body and the only organisation authorised to certify works as genuine. When you buy Banksy prints or original art, a current Pest Control Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is the non-negotiable standard. The COA features a torn currency note — half retained by Pest Control, half with the work — as a security measure, and is registered against a specific edition and owner.
At Guy Hepner Gallery, every Banksy work offered for sale is accompanied by Pest Control documentation. We do not offer works without verified authentication, and our team is available to guide collectors through the acquisition process, including condition reporting, framing recommendations, and insurance valuation.
Ready to buy Banksy art? Contact Guy Hepner to explore our current inventory of authenticated Banksy prints and original works.