150 signed · 600 unsigned · artist's proofs: unknown number
Numbering & signature
Numbered in pencil lower right, no publisher's blindstamp · some with the Banksy stamp in red ink · signed either in pencil or in black ink
Key market statistics
Barcode (unsigned)
41 transactions since 2018
Most recent sale
£14,480
Jan 2026 · Heritage Auctions · 323/600
2026 median price
£14,480
over 1 qualifying sale
2025 median price
£13,440
over 5 qualifying sales
2025–2026 performance
+8%
change between the two published medians
Peak price
£100,250
Dec 2020 · Bonhams London
Value retention
14%
most recent sale as a share of the peak price
Barcode (signed)
19 transactions since 2018
Most recent sale
£37,800
Oct 2024 · Christie’s online · 78/150
2024 median price
£40,660
over 2 qualifying sales
2023 median price
£53,340
over 3 qualifying sales
2023–2024 performance
−24%
change between the two published medians
Peak price
£140,700
Dec 2020 · Forum Auctions
Value retention
27%
most recent sale as a share of the peak price
Market charts
Barcode (unsigned) — median price and lots sold
Qualifying sales by year since 2018. Bars: median price. Line: number of lots sold.
Medians are computed on qualifying sales only — artist's proofs, colourways and other exceptional variants are excluded. A year with no bar had no qualifying sale.
Barcode (unsigned) — price dispersion
Every qualifying sale since 2018, one dot per lot.
Where several lots sold at the same price, the dots are spread sideways so none is hidden behind another.
Barcode (signed) — median price and lots sold
Qualifying sales by year since 2018. Bars: median price. Line: number of lots sold.
Medians are computed on qualifying sales only — artist's proofs, colourways and other exceptional variants are excluded. A year with no bar had no qualifying sale.
Barcode (signed) — price dispersion
Every qualifying sale since 2018, one dot per lot.
Where several lots sold at the same price, the dots are spread sideways so none is hidden behind another.
Key Takeaways
Barcode (unsigned)
The auction history of Barcode unsigned offers a revealing view of how the Banksy market distinguishes between conceptually strong images and the artist’s most universally recognized icons. With 41 qualifying transactions recorded since 2018, the edition maintains meaningful liquidity. Its imagery is quintessential Banksy: a leopard escapes from a barcode that functions simultaneously as a commercial symbol, a cage and a rather efficient summary of modern consumer life.
Prices accelerated dramatically during 2020 as speculative demand transformed the market for Banksy prints. The auction record was established at Bonhams London in December 2020, when an unsigned impression achieved £100,250. Strong results continued into 2021, with several sales exceeding £60,000 and even £75,000. This demonstrates that the expansion was broad, although the record itself remains firmly tied to exceptional peak-market conditions.
The correction after 2021 was severe. Values compressed throughout 2022 and 2023 before returning close to their pre-pandemic range during 2024 and 2025. The 2025 median stood at £13,440 across five qualifying transactions. The only sale recorded in 2026 achieved £14,480 at Heritage Auctions, implying an increase of 8%; however, a single result is insufficient to establish a genuine recovery trend.
The latest sale represents approximately 14% of the historical peak, illustrating how little of the speculative premium has survived. Nevertheless, Barcode remains liquid and intellectually compelling, supported by its early date, graphic clarity and concise critique of commodification. Its market has become more disciplined: collectors continue to value the image, but they no longer price it as though every leopard escaping a cage were automatically a blue-chip asset.
The signed edition occupies a narrower and more selective market. Produced in an edition of 150, it combines the visual strength of Barcode with the scarcity and authentication premium attached to Banksy’s signature. Nineteen qualifying transactions have been recorded since 2018, providing a meaningful—though still relatively thin—basis for evaluating its market performance.
Signed impressions experienced an extraordinary repricing during 2020 and 2021. The auction record was established at Forum Auctions in December 2020, when an example achieved £140,700. Several additional six-figure results followed during the market’s strongest period, confirming that collectors were prepared to pay substantial premiums for signed examples of recognizable early Banksy compositions.
The correction became increasingly visible from 2022 onward. The median price declined from £53,340 across three qualifying sales in 2023 to £40,660 across two sales in 2024, representing a fall of 24%. The most recent transaction, at Christie’s online in October 2024, achieved £37,800. With no qualifying signed sales recorded in either 2025 or 2026, there is insufficient evidence to determine whether the market has subsequently stabilized.
The latest result represents approximately 27% of the historical peak, nearly twice the retention rate of the unsigned edition. This difference demonstrates the support provided by scarcity and signature, although it does not eliminate the impact of the wider Banksy correction. Barcode signed remains a desirable mid-tier edition, but its market is now selective, transaction-driven and far removed from the speculative exuberance that produced its record price.
Barcode (unsigned)
2026 Auction Results
Heritage Auctions323/600
29 January 2026
USA
USD 20,000
GBP 14,480
USD 20,000
2025 Auction Results
Tate WardXXX/600
10 December 2025
UK
Est. GBP 9,000 – 12,000
GBP 10,575
USD 14,140
Deutscher and Hackett276/600
26 November 2025
Australia
Est. AUD 30,000 – 40,000
AUD 36,818
GBP 18,000
USD 23,830
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
15 October 2025
UK
Est. GBP 12,000 – 15,000
GBP 10,200 (Hammer)
GBP 13,440
USD 18,015
Lyon & Turnbull389/600
14 October 2025
UK
Est. GBP 10,000 – 15,000
GBP 8,183
USD 10,900
Karl & FaberXXX/600
6 June 2025
Germany
Est. EUR 10,000 – 15,000
EUR 17,780
GBP 15,015
USD 20,270
2024 Auction Results
Tate Ward Auctions62/600
20 March 2024
UK
Est. GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 16,250
USD 20,610
Roseberys London135/600
5 March 2024
UK
Est. GBP 15,000 – 20,000
GBP 19,680
USD 25,015
Michaan’s Auctions119/600
16 February 2024
USA
Est. USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 15,600
GBP 12,275
USD 15,600
2023 Auction Results
Bonhams London79/600
6 December 2023
UK
Est. GBP 18,000 – 25,000
GBP 23,040
USD 29,020
Bonhams London359/600
29 March 2023
UK
Est. GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 22,950
USD 28,255
Christie’s Online536/600
14 March 2023
UK
Est. GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 32,760
USD 40,295
Phillips London342/600
19 January 2023
UK
Est. GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 30,240
USD 37,195
2022 Auction Results
Heritage Auctions239/600
29 November 2022
USA
Est. USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 28,750
GBP 23,580
USD 28,750
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
8 November 2022
UK
Est. GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 24,500 (Hammer)
GBP 32,830
USD 38,055
Sotheby’s online323/600
17 August 2022
UK
Est. GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 25,200
USD 30,240
2021 Auction Results
Tate Ward Auctions45/600
7 December 2021
UK
Est. GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 35,000
USD 45,790
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
20 October 2021
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 32,000 (Hammer)
GBP 42,880
USD 59,605
Mallet Japan490/600
7 October 2021
Japan
Est. JPY 4,000,000 – 6,000,000
JPY 5,500,000 (Hammer)
GBP 42,195
USD 57,470
SBI Art AuctionXXX/600
18 September 2021
Japan
Est. JPY 5,000,000 – 8,000,000
JPY 6,555,000
GBP 43,640
USD 59,620
International Art Center428/600
27 July 2021
New-zealand
Est. NZD 80,000 – 120,000
NZD 111,625
GBP 59,110
USD 82,160
Bonhams online352/600
29 June 2021
UK
Est. GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 31,500
USD 43,570
Tate Ward AuctionsXXX/600
24 June 2021
UK
Est. GBP 35,000 – 55,000
GBP 42,500
USD 59,095
Bonhams London247/600
28 April 2021
UK
Est. GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 47,750
USD 66,375
Christie’s online545/600
1 April 2021
UK
Est. GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 56,250
USD 77,625
Sotheby’s online314/600
18 March 2021
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 75,600
USD 105,085
Forum Auctions533/600
5 March 2021
UK
Est. GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 60,000 (Hammer)
GBP 80,400
USD 110,150
Heritage Auctions239/600
10 February 2021
USA
USD 93,750
GBP 67,445
USD 93,750
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
27 January 2021
UK
Est. GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 46,000 (Hammer)
GBP 61,640
USD 84,445
Phillips London16/600
21 January 2021
UK
Est. GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 75,600
USD 105,000
2020 Auction Results
Bonhams London408/600Auction Record
10 December 2020
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 100,250
USD 134,880
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
7 December 2020
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 55,000 (Hammer)
GBP 73,700
USD 97,285
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
27 October 2020
UK
Est. GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 55,000 (Hammer)
GBP 73,700
USD 96,290
Forum AuctionsXXX/600
4 September 2020
UK
Est. GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 55,000 (Hammer)
GBP 73,700
USD 97,505
2019 Auction Results
Martel Maides Auctions461/600
12 December 2019
UK
Est. GBP 8,000 – 10,000
GBP 15,000
USD 19,765
Shapiro Auctioneers535/600
26 November 2019
Australia
Est. AUD 18,000 – 26,000
AUD 24,000
GBP 13,040
USD 16,270
Sotheby’s online198/600
19 September 2019
UK
Est. GBP 7,000 – 9,000
GBP 13,040
USD 20,275
Leonard Joel336/600
10 April 2019
Australia
Est. AUD 18,000 – 24,000
AUD 18,000 (Hammer)
GBP 13,835
USD 17,265
Tate Ward AuctionsXXX/600
10 April 2019
UK
Est. GBP 11,000 – 13,000
GBP 12,500
USD 16,365
2018 Auction Results
Bonhams New-York104/600
8 November 2018
USA
Est. USD 10,000 – 12,000
USD 15,000
GBP 11,400
USD 15,000
Sotheby’s London545/600
18 September 2018
UK
Est. GBP 7,000 – 9,000
GBP 16,250
USD 21,375
Prior Years Auction Results
Forum Auctions NY248/600
12 December 2017
USA
USD 19,000 (Hammer)
USD 25,460
GBP 19,115
USD 25,460
Artcurial Paris443/600
3 October 2016
Hong-kong
HKD 107,200
GBP 10,645
USD 13,700
Digard Auctions337/600
27 June 2016
France
EUR 12,122
GBP 10,100
USD 13,355
Sotheby's London49/600
30 September 2015
UK
GBP 7,500
USD 11,335
SBI Art AuctionXXX/600
11 July 2015
Japan
JPY 1,322,500
GBP 6,940
USD 10,770
Dreweatts442/600
3 December 2014
UK
GBP 6,000 (Hammer)
GBP 7,440
USD 11,680
Artcurial Paris161/600
5 February 2014
France
EUR 8,450
GBP 7,005
USD 11,420
Bukowskis556/600
14 November 2013
Sweden
SEK 34,000 (Hammer)
SEK 43,350
GBP 4,060
USD 6,520
Artnet Auctions471/600
28 June 2011
USA
USD 4,945
GBP 3,090
USD 4,945
Barcode (signed)
2024 Auction Results
Christie’s online78/150
1 October 2024
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 37,800
USD 50,275
Bonhams online122/150
20 March 2024
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 43,520
USD 55,195
2023 Auction Results
Sotheby’s London28/150
26 September 2023
UK
Est. GBP 40,000 – 60,000
GBP 53,340
USD 66,100
Sotheby’s online30/150 DN
20 April 2023
UK
Est. GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 76,200
USD 94,860
Bonhams London19/150
19 April 2023
UK
Est. GBP 50,000 – 70,000
GBP 53,220
USD 66,210
2022 Auction Results
Bonhams London30/150
13 December 2022
UK
Est. GBP 60,000 – 80,000
GBP 53,220
USD 65,860
Sotheby’s online96/150
17 August 2022
UK
Est. GBP 60,000 – 80,000
GBP 75,600
USD 90,720
Sotheby’s online22/150 DN
26 April 2022
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 88,200
USD 111,130
Forum Auctions16/150
3 March 2022
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 90,000
GBP 78,000 (Hammer)
GBP 104,250
USD 142,145
2021 Auction Results
Bonhams London19/150
11 November 2021
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 94,000
USD 126,900
Sotheby’s online47/150 DN
17 September 2021
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 113,400
USD 157,625
Bonhams online68/150
29 June 2021
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 94,000
USD 130,015
Tate Ward AuctionsXXX/150
24 March 2021
UK
Est. GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 125,000
USD 173,750
2020 Auction Results
Bonhams London11/150
15 December 2020
UK
Est. GBP 70,000 – 100,000
GBP 100,250
USD 134,000
Forum AuctionsXXX/150Auction Record
7 December 2020
UK
Est. GBP 100,000 – 150,000
GBP 105,000 (Hammer)
GBP 140,700
USD 185,725
Forum AuctionsXXX/150
27 October 2020
UK
Est. GBP 80,000 – 120,000
GBP 104,000 (Hammer)
GBP 139,360
USD 183,955
2019 Auction Results
Christie’s New-York125/150
27 February 2019
USA
Est. USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 35,000
GBP 26,620
USD 35,000
Forum AuctionsXXX/150
29 January 2019
UK
Est. GBP 30,000 – 50,000
GBP 35,000 (Hammer)
GBP 46,900
USD 61,670
2018 Auction Results
Forum Auctions84/150
25 June 2018
UK
Est. GBP 35,000 – 55,000
GBP 35,000 (Hammer)
GBP 46,900
USD 62,250
Prior Years Auction Results
Bonhams London84/150
17 April 2013
UK
GBP 16,250
USD 24,795
Dreweatts123/150
15 December 2010
UK
GBP 7,800 (Hammer)
GBP 8,710
USD 13,600
Prices are inclusive of buyer’s premium unless stated otherwise, as reported by the auction houses. “DN” stands for “Duplicate Number”.
Prices are hammer plus premium, in GBP, not adjusted for inflation. Only standard editions are included: artist’s proofs, special proofs, colorways and other exceptional variants are excluded, and signed and unsigned impressions are never combined. Medians are preferred to averages, which exceptional results distort. Figures are drawn from sales documented by Banksy Explained and are not an exhaustive record of the market. Compiled 4 September 2026.
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