Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill by Shepard Fairey: Collector Guide, Value & What to Know
The Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill screen print by Shepard Fairey is one of the artist's most pointed political works — a direct commentary on the paradox at the heart of market capitalism, rendered in Fairey's signature propaganda-poster aesthetic. This print belongs to Fairey's long-running series interrogating money, power, and systemic contradiction, work that sits at the intersection of street art credibility and blue-chip collectibility. If you are asking whether it is worth buying: yes. Fairey's politically charged prints with strong graphic concepts consistently hold and grow in secondary market value, and the Red/Green Bill edition carries both aesthetic punch and ideological weight that speaks to a broad collector base — from contemporary art buyers to activists and cultural critics.
About Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill
Capitalism as a subject has fascinated artists for generations, but few have visualized its contradictions as bluntly and accessibly as Shepard Fairey. The Two Sides of Capitalism concept cuts to a central tension: the same economic system that generates unprecedented wealth and opportunity also concentrates that wealth, marginalizes the vulnerable, and commodifies everything in its path. Fairey, who built his entire career outside the traditional gallery system before being absorbed by it, understands this contradiction personally. The Red/Green Bill colorway — currency green against warning red — makes the duality visual and immediate. Green for growth, profit, go. Red for stop, danger, blood. Two sides of the same bill, literally and figuratively.
Fairey has returned to economic and political themes throughout his career, from his Power & Glory series to his propaganda-inflected corporate critique work. The currency imagery taps into a deep vein of American visual culture — the dollar bill is perhaps the most universally recognized object in the world — and subverts it. By applying his OBEY Giant aesthetic language to currency iconography, Fairey forces viewers to question what they are actually looking at when they hold money: a store of value, a tool of control, or both simultaneously. This cultural weight makes the print collectible beyond its visual appeal alone.
The Print — What You Are Getting
This is a hand-pulled screen print produced by the OBEY Giant studio in Los Angeles, Fairey's primary production operation for fine art editions. Screen printing is the medium of choice for Fairey's limited editions — it delivers the flat, saturated color fields and crisp graphic lines that define his visual vocabulary, and the hand-pulled process introduces subtle variation that makes each impression unique. The Red/Green Bill edition uses a tight color palette deployed with precision: the contrast between the green and red registers is the conceptual engine of the piece, and the printing executes it cleanly. Standard edition sizing for Fairey prints in this series runs 18x24 inches — a format that works equally well framed as a statement piece or displayed flat in a collector portfolio. Typical OBEY Giant screen print editions run between 150 and 450 for standard releases, keeping scarcity meaningful without making the work inaccessible. The visual composition follows Fairey's established propaganda poster format: bold graphic design, strong figure-ground contrast, and text elements that function as both information and design component.
Authentication and Provenance
OBEY Giant studio documentation is the gold standard for authenticating Shepard Fairey screen prints — full stop. Authentic prints in this edition carry a pencil signature in the lower right, hand-applied by Fairey. The edition number — formatted XX/YYY — appears in pencil as well, establishing the print's exact position within the run. The OBEY blind-deboss seal is present on authenticated pieces, a tactile mark that is difficult to fake and serves as a secondary verification point. No third-party certificate of authenticity is required for OBEY Giant editions, and no third-party COA should be treated as a substitute for or enhancement of the studio's own documentation. Collectors should be skeptical of any listing that relies on an outside authenticator rather than original OBEY documentation. Provenance — prior ownership history with supporting receipts or correspondence — adds value on top of authentication but is not a requirement for a clean transaction on a properly documented piece.
Value in Context
Politically themed Fairey works with strong graphic concepts occupy a specific and well-supported niche in the secondary market. The Two Sides of Capitalism series benefits from a dual collector base: contemporary art collectors drawn to Fairey's market trajectory and cultural standing, and politically engaged buyers for whom the subject matter carries personal resonance. That dual demand floor is a meaningful structural advantage. Within Fairey's broader catalog, currency and capitalism-themed works have demonstrated consistent secondary market interest, particularly as economic inequality has become a more prominent public conversation. Pricing for prints in this edition category reflects both condition and provenance quality — mint-condition pieces with full original documentation command a premium over examples with condition issues or incomplete paperwork. For current pricing on this specific edition, contact Gauntlet Gallery directly; we source and verify each piece individually and can speak to current market conditions with specificity.
FAQ
Is the Shepard Fairey Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill print authentic?
Authentic examples carry OBEY Giant studio documentation: a hand-applied pencil signature by Shepard Fairey in the lower right, an edition number in pencil (XX/YYY format), and the OBEY blind-deboss seal. These three elements together constitute the authentication standard for OBEY Giant screen prints. No third-party certificate of authenticity is required or recognized as a substitute. At Gauntlet Gallery, every Fairey print we offer has been sourced and verified against this documentation standard before listing.
What is the Shepard Fairey Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill print worth?
Value depends on edition number, condition, and provenance. Fairey screen prints in this political/conceptual category typically trade in the mid-hundreds to low thousands on the secondary market, with premium examples in mint condition with full documentation at the higher end. Politically themed Fairey works with strong graphic concepts have shown consistent secondary market support. Contact Gauntlet Gallery for current pricing on this specific edition.
Where can I buy the Shepard Fairey Two Sides of Capitalism Red/Green Bill print?
Gauntlet Gallery carries authenticated Shepard Fairey screen prints including works from the Two Sides of Capitalism series. Browse our current Fairey inventory at gauntlet.gallery/collections/shepard-fairey or contact us directly for availability and pricing on specific editions.
For a broader introduction to collecting Shepard Fairey, read our Shepard Fairey Collector Guide.
