Banksy anti-Iraq war cardboard placards sell for over £24k at Newcastle auction

Anti-Iraq war artwork created by street artist Banksy has been sold at auction for more than £24,000.

The three original works were produced on cardboard in 2003 for a protest march opposing the Iraq war in 2003.

Most of the signs from the London march did not survive as they were either discarded on the street or confiscated by the police.

At the auction run by Anderson and Garland, in Newcastle, there was particular interest in Happy Choppers, which sold for £9,200, considerably more than estimates of £3,500 - £5,000.

Bomb Hugger was close behind selling at £8,000 and Grim Reaper also sold for more than its £2,000-£3,000 estimates with the hammer finally falling at £7,500.

The spray paint pieces are part of the Wrong War series and were collected by an owner who wanted to remain anonymous.

He picked up the first of his pieces at the protest as a "cool memento" of the day, sparking his interest in the series.

In 2022, the auction house sold another of Banksy's pieces for a seven-figure sum.

Georgina Norman, head of picture at Anderson & Garland said: “We’re thrilled with the results of today’s auction. These works certainly grabbed the attention of buyers and bidders from around the world, and we’re delighted with the results achieved.

"When we sold The Merrivale Stable last year, it was the first time in years that an original Banksy had been on display here in the North East. The publicity surrounding this item resulted in a house record price and consequently, brought us to the attention of many enthusiasts and collectors, which was reinforced with the results today.”

After a bidding battle online and on the phones, all three lots exceeded their estimates, selling for a combined total of £32,100 inclusive of fees.

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