Ozzy Osbourne Bank Notes Special Release Announced
via Instagram/ Dion Kitson
In a one-of-a-kind tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne, artist Dion Kitson has created a limited-edition series of 1,000 handcrafted banknotes featuring the heavy metal icon. Osbourne, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76, is immortalized on redesigned £5, £10, £20, and £50 notes, replacing the traditional image of the monarch with “The Prince of Darkness” himself.
Each note is filled with intricate imagery celebrating the Black Sabbath frontman’s life and legacy—from bats to nods to Birmingham’s industrial past. Thirty percent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to Parkinson’s UK, a charity especially meaningful given Osbourne’s own diagnosis.
Designing Darkness
Kitson, an artist from Dudley, described the creative process as both intense and emotional. “It was quite emotional, just after his passing, having to select all these images and go through the details of his life,” he said.
Among the standout design elements is a small angel on the £20 note handing a guitar to Tony Iommi—an Easter egg honoring Osbourne’s longtime bandmate and the origins of heavy metal.
To bring the designs to life, Kitson combined traditional hand-cut techniques with digital tools like Photoshop. “I didn’t sleep for three days making these,” he admitted.
A Legacy Forged in the Black Country
More than just a tribute to one man, Kitson sees the project as a celebration of the region that gave rise to a genre. “Heavy metal, the industry, Birmingham—it created its own genre,” he said. “I think it needs to be talked about more.”
For fans of Osbourne and metal alike, these commemorative notes are both collectible art pieces and a lasting tribute to a sound—and spirit—that reshaped music history.
