The World Would Be a Better Place If Our Coins Looked Like This

Have you ever wondered who the people on our money actually are? Sure, the Queen's pretty obvious. Okay, we seem to be a little enamoured with our native animals. But wouldn't if be great if you could actually relate to the people proudly emblazoned on our currency? Imagine if you could pay for a cold beer with a few cheeky Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That's a world I want to live in.

So to does German-based designer Andre Levy. Working on an popular Instagram turned Tumblr project called Tales You Lose, this skilled artist has been altering currency from around the world to suit this great idea. He's transformed politicians, royalty and cultural icons into the likes of Princess Leia, Amy Winehouse, Flash and Apu from The Simpsons.

"I never collected coins," he told Hyperallergic. "What initially made me accumulate a few was the fact that I keep forgetting them in my pockets ... I saw those coins as massively reproduced sculptures, and felt they could be turned into templates for something richer."

Though the act is inherently a kind of defacement, Levy says his intentions aren't political. His subjects are instead decided by convenience. For instance, he often chooses to colour over Queen Elizabeth because of her easily manipulated silhouette. He especially like the Italian 'Vitruvian Man' because you can sneak in a whole standing figure.

As far as we can tell, he hasn't yet tackled any Australian currency, though he's always thinking up new ideas for artworks. Right now, he's actually looking for a coin to transform into RuPaul. Seeing as our only pictured person other than the Queen is an Aboriginal elder, I don't think Australia can help him out.

Via Hyperallergic.