Pelé — The King
$2.00 · “The Beautiful Game” · Hand-signed
About the Work
Recognized as one of the greatest players of all time, Pelé ranks among the most successful and beloved sports figures of the twentieth century. This Rency Art piece honors that legacy with an iconic bicycle kick printed as a giclée on a genuine two-dollar bill.
Among football’s spectacular goals, none outranks the bicycle kick. The airborne acrobatics go beyond the game itself: a gesture as incredible as it is demanding. Perhaps none is more famous than Pelé’s iconic strike, captured during a 1965 friendly between Brazil and Belgium, where the player seems to defy gravity, suspended upside down, the ball leaving his extended leg at a perfect 90-degree angle.
Vibrant pop-art graffiti colors decorate this genuine two-dollar bill, combining the subversive spirit of street art with officially recognized legal tender. The piece is hand-signed by Rency, an anonymous artist working in the wake of other well-known urban graffiti writers.
Notofilia’s giclée note is preserved in perfect condition. These works are often shown in a clear display holder (approx. 6" × 3") to protect and present the piece.
Obverse
- Pelé’s bicycle kick: pop-art intervention of the iconic overhead kick on the standard U.S. two-dollar design (portrait of Thomas Jefferson).
- “The King” / “The Beautiful Game”: legends from the official title of the work, evoking Pelé’s nickname and football’s classic phrase.
- Pop-art graffiti colors: an intense palette overprinted by giclée on the original intaglio design of the legal-tender note.
Reverse
- Artist’s signature: hand-signed by Rency on the reverse of the note.
- Original support: standard reverse of the federal two-dollar bill (engraving of the Declaration of Independence), partly visible under the artistic intervention.
Sources
- Descriptive material from the original distributor of the The King Pelé Rency Art $2 Bill edition
- Notofilia.com private collection