How Rare Are 2-Dollar Bills? According to Business Insider, 2-dollar bills account for less than 0.001% of all currency in circulation. Two-dollar bills are the rarest currently produced money in the United States, and only about 1.2 billion 2-dollar bills are in current circulation.
Most $2 bills in circulation are worth exactly that: $2. And even though you don't see a lot of $2 bills in everyday life, they are still being printed.
Because they're still circulating, most $2 bills are worth exactly that – $2. Any $2 bill dating back to 1976 that has been in circulation – and any uncirculated versions since 2003 – are worth only their face value, USCA says.
Average Market Value and Price Range
As of May 2023, the average market value of a 1976 $2 dollar bill is around $3 to $5 in circulated condition. However, uncirculated bills in crisp condition can fetch up to $30 or more depending on their rarity and condition.
The value of a 1953 2-dollar bill largely depends on its condition. Generally, those used for everyday transactions are worth less than $10, but uncirculated banknotes can cost anywhere from 20 to 30 dollars.
Low or High Serial Numbers: Those below 1000 or 100, for example 00000100, can sell for $300. In the case of highs it would be 99999900, or something similar. Of course, there are exceptions: A serial number 00000001 could be worth up to $15,000.
Most large-size $2 bills issued from 1862 through 1918, are highly collectible and are worth at least $100 in well-circulated condition. Uncirculated large-size notes are worth at least $500 and can go up to $10,000 or more.
For those wanted to cash in big on their $2, look for a red seal. If it was printed in 1890 and uncirculated, it's worth $4,500. Other $2 bills with the red seal range from being worth $300 to $2,500. Some bills with brown or blue seals are also worth hundreds of dollars.
Palindromes are words or numbers that read the same way, backward or forward. Some very rare $2 bills from 1976 feature serial numbers that are also palindromes. Because these bills are so rare, they can be quite pricey, fetching as much as $95. The ladder is the rarest variety of the 1976 two-dollar series.
If you have a $2 bill with a red seal that was printed in 1890 and uncirculated, it is now worth $4,500. Other $2 bills with a red seal can fetch between $300 and $2,500, while ones with brown or blue seals can fetch hundreds of dollars. The $2 bill is not rare, but it is uncommon.
According to the USCA website, any $2 bill with a red seal printed between 1862 and and 1896 is worth big bucks. The top payout is $4,500, and that's if the bill was printed in 1890 and uncirculated. Other $2 bills with the red seal range in worth from $300 to $2,500.
Even an uncirculated $2 bill won't be worth more than face value if it was printed after 1976. However, most $2 bills were created between 1862 and 1918, and these are highly collectible, fetching at least $50 in well-circulated condition.
"The $2 bill was often thought to be bad luck, as 'deuce' was a name for the devil," CNB St. Louis Bank wrote. "Recipients would tear off one corner, believing it would negate the bad luck of the bill. This caused many of the bills to be taken out of circulation as mutilated currency."
The original $1,000 bill featured Alexander Hamilton on the front. When someone presumably realized that it might be confusing to have the same former Secretary of the Treasury on multiple denominations, Hamilton's portrait was replaced with that of a president—the 22nd and the 24th, Grover Cleveland.
The Australian two-dollar note was introduced in 1966 due to decimalisation, to replace the £1 note which had similar green colouration.
A new $2 coin commemorating the end of the Vietnam War has skyrocketed in value and is now selling for up to $1,200 online. The Royal Australian Mint released two $2 coins earlier this month to commemorate 50 years since the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.
If your $2 bill dates back to 1886 and has a red seal with a silver certificate, you're in luck. That bill is worth $4,500. A number of other iterations of the $2 bills with a red seal can also fetch well over a $1,000. Bills with brown seals are also very valuable.
One of the most valuable dollar bill variations in the world, called a “ladder” in collector's parlance, could be worth about $6,000, according to the Penny Hoarder website: “When the serial number ascends (e.g. 12345678) or descends (e.g. 8765431) in order, collectors call it a ladder.
If you're in the US, you can get $2 bills at the bank. Depending on the size of the bank, the teller may need to go to the vault to get the bills for you, but if you ask for them then you shouldn't have your request refused. You may even get a brand new stack, if you swap a $100 bill (or other bills totaling $100).
Each note has a unique serial number. The first letter of the serial number corresponds to the series year.
Most 2003 series $2 bills were issued from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and they are each worth around $5 in uncirculated condition with an MS 63 grade. Bills issued from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis are more valuable. They are each valued at around $35 in uncirculated condition with an MS 63 grade.
Since $10,000 notes were last issued back in 1934, they are extremely rare. You are not likely to ever see one in circulation, and they currently remain soundly in the possession of collectors.
In 1904, $4 bills ceased being issued, but they continued to circulate for several years after that; however, by 1947, according to a Globe and Mail article, they would rarely show up in circulation anymore. Today, the bills are a collector's item.
It is also the likeness that was used on the first one dollar bill printed in 1862 and the $10,000 bill in 1918. In 1861, Salmon P. Chase resigned from the Senate to become President Abraham Lincoln's Treasury Secretary. In his new position, Chase was faced with the formidable challenge of financing the Civil War.