$2 Note | Engraving & Printing (2024)

FAQs

Are $2 notes still being printed? ›

Today, the general public is still largely unfamiliar with the notes because they are not widely circulated and continue to be hoarded. The common misconception that the $2 note is no longer being produced also remains, though $2 notes have been printed since 1862, except for a 10-year hiatus between 1966 and 1976.

Even though the print is less common, $2 bills are still used and made, and still count as legal tender.

6. Wasn't it once discontinued? In 1966, the U.S. Treasury announced they would stop printing $2 bills for lack of demand. But they were reintroduced in 1976 as part of the country's bicentennial celebration and have been in circulation ever since.

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.

People used the bill less and less, so the United States Treasury Department discontinued the bill in 1966. However, it costs the same to print the $2 bill as it does to print a $1 note, so printing the former is actually more cost-effective.

“The $2 bill has lost its place in everyday usage more than anything else, because … it was left out of the vending machine market. For denominations like the $2 bill or the half dollar coin, because there was no space made in the actual cash registers, they became less popular and less used. …

“A serial number '1' for a 1976 $2 bill would be worth $20,000 or more. But [for] a majority of those people holding 1976 $2 bills, they are only worth face value. There are very few that actually exceed face value.” Other high-value serial numbers include what collectors call “solid” or “ladders.”

Unless it has a unique feature, like a low serial number or misprint, a newer $2 bill likely isn't worth much more than $2, even if it's uncirculated.

How rare are $2 bills? ›

Uncommon but not rare

The Federal Reserve reported that in 2022, $2 bills in circulation amounted to $3 billion, a small fraction of the total $54.1 billion currency circulated that year. The note is considered uncommon but not rare.

Though a gold three-dollar coin was produced in the 1800s, and the Bahamian dollar (which is pegged to the US dollar) has a $3 banknote, no three-dollar bill has ever been produced in the United States. Various fake US$3 bills have also been released over time.

For example, an uncirculated 1890 series $2 bill with a brown seal can be worth at least $4,500. A circulated $2 bill with a red seal can sell for $2.25 to $2,500.

Although $2 bills are rare to find, if you own one, there's a chance it has a high value. Based on specific factors, some versions of the currency may be worth up to $5,000, per the US Currency Price Guide. FOX 13 Tampa reported that these bills were discontinued by 1966 but brought back 10 years later.

A newer bill with a green one is likely worth face value. With a red seal, the value generally starts to go up. Age is also a huge factor. If you're looking for a high dollar $2 bill, it would be pre-1900, and it would have to be in a very high condition graded condition," said Pinto.

The most recent printing of the $2 note has the Series 2017A designation. There are no plans to redesign the $2 note.

The note is considered uncommon but not rare. U.S. Currency Auctions estimates that uncirculated $2 bills from 1890 could sell for up to $4,500, and uncirculated bills from nearly every year between 1862 and 1917 for at least $1,000. 'Vintage' iPhone:A first-generation iPhone sold for $190K at an auction this week.

American paper currency comes in seven denominations: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. The United States no longer issues bills in larger denominations, such as $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills. But they are still legal tender and may still be in circulation.