Much like Ricky, I had a really difficult time picking an object for this week’s assignment. The past week I have been assembling things that I could maybe write about, but none of them seemed to have a history worth delving into. It was not until I read Ricky’s post that I realized to look to my wallet. But not the one I’ve been using, (a see-through plastic coin purse circa 1990s… although that might be interesting to look into one day), but the wristlet I used to use all the time which has become more of a paper-collecting receptacle at this point. In there I found a two-dollar bill that has been there for roughly three years now.
I received the bill when I sold my old books to a textbook buyer at the end of my freshman year. I made exactly $102 from that transaction (as you can imagine, there were about 12 books sold.) And although, as a college student, the 100 dollar bill was fun to look at, I knew (read: hoped) there would be more of those in my future. I did not know how lucky I would be to find a two-dollar bill again. There would be times where I would have absolutely no money left in the wallet besides the two-dollar bill, yet I could never bring myself to spend it. I felt like it was too rare of a find to just go and spend. What could be worth the exchange of this oddity? A pack of gum? Half of a latte?
It is this sentiment that makes the two-dollar bill seem so valuable. In fact, it is not worth more than, you guessed it, two dollars. According to an article in Eagle News, one percent of bills produced annually are two-dollar bills. Furthermore, they make up $1.2 billion of printed currency in the US. There is even a website, usethetwo.com, devoted to cracking the myth of the two-dollar bill. Their mission is to get these bills back into circulation and stimulate our economy.
Exploring the website further I was able to track my particular bill. Mine is from the most recent printing, the 2003A series, which occurred between July and September 2006. There were 230,420,000 bills printed in this series. According to usapapermoney.info, this bill was printed in Fort Worth, Texas in September of 2006 (as evident by the serial number beginning with a “D”.)
However, the two-dollar bill first came to be in 1976 to honor the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The front of the bill has a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence. The back of the bill features an illustration of the painting, Declaration of Independence, originally by John Trumbull.
Nowadays, you can even track your two-dollar bill. The website, wheresgeorge.com, which is most notably used to track one-dollar bills also features options for bills with denominations up to 100. Here is the list of the top 20 two-dollar bills reported.
After learning all of this and debunking the myth of the “valuable” two-dollar bill, I am still not sure I can part with mine. It has become a sort of keepsake for me. It has been a great conversation piece and something I find myself studying whenever I come across it. I always joke that I will spend it when it is literally the last bill I have left in my name. But who knows, it might just get me out of a tight spot one day.
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
This was a funny post, as I have a 2-dollar bill tucked away as well! I had thought that they were no longer printed, and remember when the first ones came out. If people knew they were coming out anually, perhaps they would go ahead and spend them, but like you, I don’t plan to do so right away. I need to check mine for the year — thanks for all this info.
I used to keep a $2 bill in my wallet–someone once told me that they were considered good luck in Korea (American $2 bills!)–though I’ve never been able to verify that.
When I was in college, the textbook buy-back people always paid in $2 bills, and the rumor was that it was a ploy the college would use to remind the community of its economic influence (i.e., students buying beers with $2 bills sent an economic message!)
I really enjoyed your post and agree that even though the 2 dollar bill has no rare “value”, if I came across one as well I don’t think I would be able to part with it either. It is quite odd that they are so hard to come by.