Gauntlet Gallery
What is D*Face’s piece called “United State Of America”
Summary
A reworked US one-dollar bill in which George Washington's portrait is replaced by D*Face's grinning winged skull, the header is recast as the "DFACE RESERVE NOTE," and the title reads "THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA" (singular) with a "DF" bank seal in place of the Federal Reserve mark. It is a direct dollar-defacement that puts the artist's death's-head motif at the literal center of American currency, distilling his attack on money, power and consumer culture into one of the most recognisable images a Western viewer carries every day.
Why It Matters
Defacing currency is one of the oldest and most legible gestures in protest art, and here D*Face folds his signature winged-skull iconography directly into the most ubiquitous symbol of American economic power. By swapping "Federal" for "Dface," collapsing "States" into a singular "State," and burying a skull behind Washington's familiar oval, he reframes the dollar as a memento mori for empire and consumerism. The piece sits squarely in his lineage of "aPOPalyptic" pop-art subversion, where advertising and national iconography are turned against themselves, and it reads instantly without explanation, which is part of its strength.
Collector Perspective
With an edition of only 42, this is among the tighter print runs in D*Face's catalogue and sits in genuinely scarce territory rather than the larger 100-plus editions that dominate his output. The currency-defacement subject is a recognisable and collectible theme within his body of work, and the skull motif is core to his brand, both of which support demand. As a 2007 work it is an early-period piece, predating his largest gallery shows, which appeals to collectors tracking his trajectory. That said, it is a single-color-scheme screen print rather than a hand-finished multiple, so it occupies a mid-tier position in his market: desirable for the small edition and strong image, but not a marquee large-format or HPM work.
Historical Context
The imagery directly references the US one-dollar Federal Reserve Note, replacing the engraved Washington portrait with a skull and recasting the note's lettering as a "Dface Reserve Note." The work dates to 2007, within D*Face's early street era, a period when he and contemporaries like Banksy were applying street-art tactics to banknotes and national symbols as commentary on capitalism. It arrives a year before the 2008 financial crash, which has since given dollar-defacement pieces from this moment additional resonance, though the work was made before those events.
FAQ
What does this print depict?
It is a reworked US one-dollar bill in which George Washington's portrait becomes a grinning winged skull. The note's header is changed to "DFACE RESERVE NOTE," the title reads "THE UNITED STATE OF AMERICA," and the Federal Reserve seal letter is replaced with "DF."
How large is the edition?
The edition size is 42, making it one of D*Face's smaller and scarcer print runs.
What medium is it?
It is a screen print (silkscreen), produced in 2007.
Is it signed and numbered?
D*Face limited-edition prints are typically hand-signed and numbered by the artist, though signing and numbering should be confirmed for this specific impression before purchase.
Who is D*Face?
D*Face is the British street artist Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a pop-art provocateur known for winged-eyed and skull motifs, defaced comic-book and advertising imagery, and satire of consumerism, power and fame. He co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London.
Related Works
About the Artist
D*Face is the working name of Dean Stockton (b. 1978, London), a leading figure in British street art. He came up pasting stickers and posters across London in the early 2000s, then built a pop-fuelled visual language that defaces comic-book romance, advertising and celebrity iconography. Recurring motifs include his winged-eyed D*Dog, grinning skulls and doomed comic-strip lovers. His practice spans screenprints, hand-painted multiples, sculpture and large-scale murals worldwide, and he co-founded the StolenSpace gallery in London. His work satirises consumerism, power and our collective obsession with fame.
Collecting D*Face at Gauntlet Gallery
Where can I buy authentic D*Face prints?
Gauntlet Gallery offers an extensive, authenticated inventory of D*Face prints and contemporary editions, with new drops added regularly. Browse the current collection at gauntlet.gallery.
How does Gauntlet Gallery ensure authenticity?
Gauntlet Gallery is built on curation, authenticity and transparency — every work is vetted and its provenance, edition details and condition are disclosed up front.
Does Gauntlet Gallery add new D*Face prints?
Yes. New drops are released regularly across D*Face and other leading artists; see gauntlet.gallery for the latest inventory.