At one time, the $2 bill was considered “unlucky” by superstitious folks, even thought to carry a curse. But instead of bad luck, your $2 bill could actually be a jackpot, potentially worth thousands of dollars.
Keep reading to find out how to assess the value of your $2 bill!
At one point, superstitious people believed the $2 bill was cursed, but instead of bad luck, it could actually bring its holder fortune—sometimes worth thousands of dollars!
Keep reading to learn how to determine the value of your $2 bill!
Long considered the unloved stepsibling of the $1 bill, the $2 note has often been scoffed at by many Americans. Some even think $2 bills are rare, not printed anymore or have gone out of circulation.
But in 2023, the Federal Reserve reports there were 1.6 billion crisp $2 bills in circulation, a tiny amount compared to 14.5 billion $1 bills or 11.2 billion $20 bills.
Widely unappreciated, the banknote has gained a bit of momentum over the past 20 years, where in 2004, there were only 0.07 billion in circulation, a small fraction of the $24.2 billion currency circulated that year.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) explains that $2 notes have historically been unpopular due to superstitions and the perception that they are awkward to use in cash transactions.
Notes were often “returned to the Treasury with corners torn off, making them mutilated currency and unfit for reissue,” the BEP writes of superstitious people who ripped the corners, hoping to reverse the curse.
Meanwhile, the New York Times wrote in a 1925 article, “He who sits in a game of chance with a two-dollar bill in his pocket is thought to be saddled with a jinx. They have been avoided as ill-starred.”
The $2 bill is the focus of a 2015 documentary titled The Two Dollar Bill, which explores its history and the superstitions surrounding it. Though often underestimated, the $2 bill is still in circulation and at least worth its face value. However, certain rare versions of the bill can be valued at thousands of dollars.
History
In 1862, the first official $2 banknote was printed with the face of Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, on the front.
It was in 1869 that the bill was redesigned to feature a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, a key image that remains unchanged to this day.
On the flipside was the picture of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s estate in Virginia, but the back was changed to a vignette of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the famous document authored by Jefferson.
Fetching a fortune
While the $2 bill is synonymous with Jefferson’s portrait, the note has seen several changes on the back, along with some on the front, including placement and size of the photo and the addition of colors.
Some $2 bills could be worth far more than their face value. To find out, check the year and seal color on your bill. Uncirculated notes from 1862 to 1896 with red, brown, or blue seals may be valued at around $5,000 at auctions, while circulated bills from the same period can still be worth up to $1,100.
There are also paper notes with red or blue seals from 1917 to 1928 that are worth $50 to $1000, depending on its condition.
The auction site reports that collectors offer these rates depending on factors such as printing method and location.
Do you have a rare $2 bill? Please let us know what you think of this story and make sure you share it with your friends!