Your old $2 bill could be worth thousands. Here's what to look for

While most $2 bills are worth face value, some of the less-used currency could be worth significantly more. Depending on the year and how the paper note was circulated, some $2 bills are worth thousands.

A $2 currency note printed in 2003 sold online in mid-2022 for $2,400 on Heritage Auctions. The same bill sold again for $4,000 roughly two weeks later, according to the Texas-based auction house.

Other $2 notes from 2003 have fetched prices in the hundreds of dollars and higher. With high demand for a rare $2 bill, sellers can often find buyers fast, especially for well-preserved and unique bills.

The federal government first issued $2 currency notes in 1862, which initially included a portrait Alexander Hamilton on the cover.

Thomas Jefferson’s image didn’t appear on the $2 bill until 1869, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Since then, $2 currency notes have undergone six designs.

What is my $2 bill worth?

Most $2 bills in circulation are worth exactly that: $2. Exceptions exist, of course.

To find the value of your $2 bill, look at the year and seal color. Bills with red, brown and blue seals from 1862 through 1917 can be worth up to $1,000 or more on the U.S. Currency Auctions website, which bases the value on recent and past paper currency auctions.

From 1995, according to the site, a set of 12 notes in their original packaging are worth $500 or more. You can find the value of your $2 bill by visiting their U.S. currency price guide online at uscurrencyauctions.com.

U.S. Currency Auctions estimates uncirculated $2 bills from 1890 could sell for up to $4,500, and uncirculated bills from nearly every year between 1862 and 1918 for at least $1,000. The auction site reports collectors offer these or similar rates depending on factors such as printing method and location.

In comparison, some $2 notes have only fetched several dollars. As one would expect, many of the most recent $2 notes sell for less than $3 and are worth only pennies above face value. But notes that are even nearly a century old - from 1928 - on average sold for anywhere between $35 to $90, according to U.S. Currency Auctions. What you can fetch varies based on the specific note and its condition.

Uncommon but not rare

The Federal Reserve reported that, in 2024, $2 bills in circulation amounted to $3.4 billion, a small fraction of the $2.3 trillion in currency that circulated that year. It also equals 1.7 billion $2 notes, a sliver of the 55.4 notes in circulation in 2024. The $2 bill is considered uncommon but not rare.

About the $2 bill

The $2 bill has a bit of a negative reputation due to superstitions and its association with illegal activities like voter bribery. The U.S. Treasury made an attempt to popularize the bill in the early 20th century, but it failed. As a result, the government stopped issuing new twos for a period of time.

The bill was reintroduced in 1976 as the United States approached its bicentennial and is still in circulation today.

The front of the current version features the face of Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. The back of the note features a portrait of the signing of that document. Thomas Jefferson’s portrait was first used on the $2 bill in 1869. An earlier version of the $2 bill featured a portrait of the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

$2 bills issued before 1928 featured different designs on both sides of the paper note, which would often change with the introduction of a new series, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

The most recent printing of the $2 note has the Series 2017A designation. There are no plans to redesign the $2 note, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.