A rare Banksy mural completed in the late 1990s was just sold for $549,000 at auction, according to the Associated Press.
The piece, titled Silent Majority, was created in Glastonbury, England, during 1998, when the elusive street artist approached a couple and asked if he could spray paint the side of the trailer home they were living in. Thankfully, the two obliged; and nearly 17 years later, they’re making a shit ton of money off that decision.
The couple, Maeve Neal and Nathan Welland, had removed the portion of the trailer and put it up for sale with Digard auction house, which had hoped to get about $400,000 for the piece. But due its rarity and unique style, the mural racked in an extra $100,000.
“We've seen some incredible works by Banksy on the market in the last few years,” UK street art specialist Mary McCarthy told the Mirror. "However, I think in terms of provenance and uniqueness, this one tops them all. For me what is quite special about this piece is it's one of the few freehand pieces on the market. It really is a rare piece."
The mural took three days to complete and was a collaboration with Banksy's fellow graffiti artist Inkie.
The couple says they plan to use the proceeds to build a new house on the same land the trailer had occupied.
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