A remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device employing an addressable display assembly including a layer of electronic ink including a bi-stable non-volatile imaging material. The device includes an integrated circuit layer having a storage element for storing instructions, programs and data, and a programmed processor in electrical communication with the addressable display assembly and an antenna structure. A signal transmitting layer transmits signals from the antenna structure to the remote activator module. A signal receiving layer receives electromagnetic signals from the remote activator module, using the antenna structure. An on-board battery power layer, operably connected to the integrated circuit layer, supplies electrical power the integrated circuit layer, which is responsive to electromagnetic signals received from the remote activator module by the antenna layer and the signal receiving layer. The addressable display assembly is responsive to output signals generated by the programmed processor, to display the determined graphical indicia. The antenna layer, integrated circuit layer, signal transmitting layer, signal receiving layer, on-board battery power layer are arranged and stacked together behind and within the spatial extent of the addressable display assembly so as to form the remotely-alterable electronic-ink based display device having a stacked-layer construction.