Most $2 bills are worth exactly $2. Every green seal $2 bill printed since 1976 is a current Federal Reserve Note, and hundreds of millions of them exist, so a circulated one from 1976, 1995, 2003, 2009, 2013 or 2017 spends and sells at face value. The notes that carry a premium are older red seal bills from the 1928, 1953 and 1963 series, worth approximately $3-20 in circulated condition, plus star notes, unusual serial numbers, first day postmarked 1976 notes and anything in crisp uncirculated condition.
The $2 bill has a reputation for being rare because few people see one. The real reason is that banks and shops rarely use them, not that they were scarce. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing still prints them in batches, and they are available at most banks on request.
So the honest starting point is that a $2 bill from a drawer is probably spendable money and nothing more. A few details printed on the front decide whether it is one of the exceptions, and they take less than a minute to check.
Read the seal color first
The color of the seal on the right side of the front tells you what kind of note it is.
- Green seal: a Federal Reserve Note, series 1976 or later. Most are worth $2.
- Red seal: a United States Note, also called a Legal Tender Note, from series 1928, 1953 or 1963. These are no longer printed and carry a small premium.
- Blue seal or brown seal on a large note: an older large-size note from before 1929. These are worth far more and are covered below.
All red seal $2 bills show Thomas Jefferson on the front. The 1928 to 1963 notes show Monticello, Jefferson's home, on the back. The 1976 and later notes show John Trumbull's painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Value by series
The series year is printed on the front, near Jefferson's portrait. A letter after the year, as in 1928G or 1953A, marks a minor change such as a new signature and matters for value.
| Series | Circulated | Crisp uncirculated |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 to 2017A, green seal | $2 | $2-4 |
| 1976 with first day postmark and stamp | $5-15 | $10-25 |
| 1963 and 1963A, red seal | $3-8 | $10-20 |
| 1953, 1953A, 1953B, 1953C, red seal | $3-8 | $12-25 |
| 1928D, 1928F, 1928G, red seal | $5-12 | $25-50 |
| 1928, 1928A, 1928B, 1928C, 1928E, red seal | $10-50 | $60-500 |
| Red seal star note | $8-40 | $25-150 |
| Large-size notes, 1862 to 1918 | $100-1,000+ | $500-5,000+ |
The 1928B, 1928C and 1928E are the scarcest of the small-size red seals and sit at the top of that range, especially in uncirculated condition.
What carries a premium
Red seal notes
The 1953 and 1963 red seal $2 bills survive in large numbers, which is why worn ones sell for only a few dollars over face. The 1928 series is older and more varied. A worn 1928G is worth a small premium, while an uncirculated 1928B or 1928C can reach several hundred dollars.
1976 first day issues
The $2 bill returned on April 13, 1976, Jefferson's birthday. Many people bought a 13 cent stamp, stuck it on a new $2 bill and had the post office cancel it that day. A note with a clear April 13, 1976 postmark is a collectible, usually worth $5-15. Postmarks from later dates, or notes with stamps but no cancellation, are worth much less. The value of these varies with the town, and some unusual post office names bring more.
Star notes
A star at the end of the serial number marks a replacement note, printed to replace a sheet damaged during production. Star notes are less common than regular ones. On older red seal notes a star adds a clear premium. On 1976 notes it adds a few dollars. On modern notes it depends on how many were printed in that run, and a small print run can push a crisp star note to $20-100.
Fancy and low serial numbers
Collectors pay for serial numbers that are interesting to look at:
- Low serials: 00000001 to 00000100 bring the most, sometimes hundreds of dollars or more
- Solids: all the same digit, such as 77777777
- Ladders: 12345678 or 87654321
- Radars: reading the same both ways, such as 12344321
- Repeaters: 12341234
- Binaries: only two digits, such as 10011010
A true solid or full ladder can be worth hundreds or thousands on a $2 bill. Partial patterns add only a few dollars.
Uncut sheets
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing sells uncut sheets of $2 bills to collectors. They are attractive but common, and they usually resell near what they cost new. A sheet of older red seal notes would be a different matter, though those are rare.
Large-size notes
Before 1929, US paper money was physically larger, about 7.4 by 3.1 inches. Large-size $2 notes include the 1862 and 1869 United States Notes, the 1875 and 1880 "Lazy Deuce" notes with a large 2 lying on its side, the 1896 Educational Series silver certificate, the 1899 silver certificate with George Washington, and the 1918 Federal Reserve Bank Note with a battleship on the back. These are collector pieces worth $100 at the very least, and fine examples sell for thousands.
Condition
Paper money is graded on a scale from 1 to 70, similar to coins. Folds, creases, tears, stains, pinholes, writing and trimmed margins all reduce value. A note that looks crisp but has a single center fold is no longer uncirculated, and that fold alone can cut its value by half or more.
Never iron, wash, tape or press a bill to improve it. Collectors and graders can spot it, and they discount it heavily. Store notes flat in a paper or Mylar sleeve, away from sunlight.
For notes worth more than about $50, grading by PMG or PCGS Banknote is the professional route. A graded note has its condition recorded on a sealed holder, which makes it easier to sell. For common red seals, grading costs more than it adds.
Myths worth clearing up
- The $2 bill is discontinued: it is not. It is still printed and still legal tender.
- The 1976 $2 bill is rare: more than 590 million were printed. A worn one is worth $2.
- A red seal makes any note valuable: red seal notes from 1953 and 1963 are common. They are worth a few dollars, not hundreds.
- Old means valuable: a crisp 1995 star note can be worth more than a worn 1953 red seal.
Photos that settle it
- The full front in daylight, flat, with the seal, series year and serial number readable
- The full back
- A close shot of the serial number, to check for stars and patterns
- For 1976 first day notes, a close shot of the postmark and date
- An angled shot to show folds or creases on notes that look uncirculated
If the same envelope holds old $1 bills, the silver certificate guide covers blue seal notes, and the inherited stamp collection guide explains how to sort a mixed album of stamps and paper money.