$2 bills are NOT rare. Go out and spend them
I like spending $2 bills. A lot. I suppose I’m a bit of a currency eccentric (I also like $1 coins and do the whole Where’s George thing). I find $2 bills a lot more convenient than $1 bills, since they take up half the space in your wallet for the same dollar amount and the “worst” that can happen from not having $1s is that you get a single $1 bill in addition to some coins as change. I don’t particularly believe in carrying around larger denominations, as I mostly use cash for buying food and I frequently run into situations where no one can break a larger denomination bill (say, a coworker has gone and brought back lunch). So at the very least $2 bills are efficient for my purposes.
But spending $2 bills is also some good clean real life trolling fun. The average cashier will go months if not years without seeing a single $2 bill, so spending many at once gets all sorts of fun reactions. I’ve never not had one accepted, but I have gotten lots of flabbergasted cashiers wondering why I’m spending bills that are “rare”. Well, that is at least a misconception I can clear up.
In recent decades, the US Treasury has printed $2 Federal Reserve notes many times, spanning series years of 1976, 1995, 2003, and 2003A. The most recent printing of the 2003A series was in September 2006 (note that series year and year of actual printing can diverge by many years), and the total print run of the 2003A series was 221 million bills. That’s almost enough for every American to have one. So $2 bills are still in print, they’re not rare, and they’re only ever worth above face value if there’s something unusual about them (just like with all other bills). There’s absolutely no reason not to spend them. And if supplies of them ever run low for whatever reason, the Federal Reserve will be more than happy to print more!
All it takes to get $2 bills is to go to the bank and ask for some. Believe me, they’re more than happy to get rid of the ones they have, because they tend to languish untouched in bank register drawers for months on end. The last time I was at the bank I only got 100 $2 bills, but the cashier was practically begging me to take the rest of the ones they had. And if the bank is out of $2 bills, they should be able to order you some more. I had to do this once when my regular bank completely ran out of $2 bills, and as a nice bonus, the bills that I got were completely new, uncirculated, and with sequential serial numbers.
So I suppose there’s one last question to address: if the $2 bill is so infrequently seen in real life that most people mistakenly think that the bill itself is rare, why does the US Treasury still bother printing them? There’s a one-word answer to that: seignorage! Seignorage is the profit that the Mint makes on the difference between how much the currency costs to produce (in the case of bills, a few cents) and its face value ($2 in the case of the $2 bill, obviously) if the currency is taken out of circulation. The Treasury makes comparatively little in seignorage on $1 bills, because they’re so incredibly common that hardly anyone intentionally takes them out of circulation by saving them. But $2 bills go out of circulation very frequently due to to people saving them and then never spending them, so the Treasury makes a pretty penny.
So the next time you’re at the bank, ask the teller for some $2 bills and then actually go out and spend them. They’re a great way to strike up random conversations as you’re buying things (which is otherwise a very boring process). Waiters love receiving them as tips. And they truly are the most beautiful of any of the bills currently in circulation, with Thomas Jefferson on the front (what a cool dude) and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the back. Eye-pyramid of the Illuminati, eat your heart out!
August 22nd, 2008 at 02:05
I love doing this too. I usually get $100 worth at at time. Occasionally I’ll paperclip $10 worth and put it into my drawer at work and hand $2s out as change (it’s hilarious to see customers boggle at them). Unlike you, though, I prefer to get precirculated batches, for two reasons. One, if a bill shows obvious signs of wear, it’s less likely someone will want to keep it in their sock drawer, and two, sometimes you can get some fun stuff in older straps. Aside from your typical star notes (which I collect in all denominations), one batch I had contained a Series 1953 red-seal United States Note (with Monticello on the reverse).
One great thing about the $2 that you didn’t mention is it’s great for buying small items. A sandwich might be priced at $1.00, but with our city sales tax the final total is $1.08. It’s simpler to just plop down a $2 than two $1s or a single and a few coins. And of course there’s lots of everyday items in the $1 to $2 range.
September 13th, 2008 at 08:26
What the… I just noticed the inscription “in god we trust”. Do american notes still have that rubbish printed on them? Isn’t it about time to get rid of it?
September 13th, 2008 at 10:39
Ed: Yup, every piece of currency, both bill and coin. It’s bullshit. One wonders how this is even possibly compatible with the separation of church and state.
And I suppose it’s okay if someone “trusts in God” (whatever that means, he wasn’t very trustworthy on 9/11 or during Hurricane Katrina), but why the hell does that need to be written on all of currency? If we don’t put it on billions of pieces of circulating paper and metal it’s no longer true? Huh?
September 14th, 2008 at 01:41
I think you’ve got about 70% of Americans to fight on that one. Or at least, a nominal 70%. I’d bet actual religiousness is closer to 25%, with 50% kind wishy-washy about it.
September 14th, 2008 at 18:19
Some definitions I like to use, whenever anyone asks:
Theism: Belief in god. Theists believe in god, atheists don’t.
Gnosticism: To be sure of something. Gnostics are sure, agnostics are not sure.
With this we can build a two by two matrix:
* Gnostic theist – believes in god, is sure about it and nothing will change his mind.
* Agnostic theist – believes in god, though open to contrary explanations. Will stop believing once a sufficiently good explanation comes around.
* Agnostic atheist – does not believe in god, but keeps an open mind. If someone proves that god exists he will believe.
* Gnostic atheist – does not believe in god, period. Doesn’t even want to know or hear explanations otherwise.
Sure, you’re going to say that I use these terms incorrectly and so on and so on and so on, but my point is that it would be interesting to see how americans (or any other population) fall into these categories. Unfortunately things are hardly ever explained this way and it’s impossible to get this from any census.
Anyway, Williams numbers are a good starting point:
30% atheist (gnostics and agnostics)
20% gnostic theists
50% agnostic theists
If each atheist was to concentrate on 2 people of the last population and really gave it his/her best they could, potentially, turn things around. ah… I´m such an optimist…
September 14th, 2008 at 20:48
Sounds like a pretty good way of describing it. I would consider myself an agnostic atheist in your system.
September 14th, 2008 at 22:27
Ed: Nice, you’re taking the bi-axial alignment system of D&D pre-4th Edition and turning it to religion.
Personally, I don’t bother trying to qualify “atheist”. I just say I’m an atheist, and whatever people think about that is generally correct. I’d rather not be confusing and then have to explain what, say, “agnostic atheist” means. Personally, I don’t even know any gnostic atheists. Everyone I know who is an atheist is one because they have a scientific/rational worldview, which rules gnostic atheism well out.
September 16th, 2008 at 22:35
Um… Why does the “Where’s George” link, point to your post on why you quit Facebook?
September 17th, 2008 at 09:51
William: No idea. It should probably link to http://www.wheresgeorge.com. I guess I just had the wrong link in my copy buffer when I did that.
May 6th, 2009 at 03:59
What a great argument for the $2 bill! But… the painting on the back is not the signing of the Declaration but its presentation to the Continental Congress by the 5-man drafting committee.
July 16th, 2009 at 22:36
It’s amazing that the USA still has 1 and 2 notes at all.It must cost a fortune to keep replacing them.Here in Australia we replaced them with coins 20 yrs ago and we no longer have 1 and 2 cent coins either.
Still i miss the old paper notes.
October 18th, 2009 at 05:14
The $2 bill is great, but I’m ashamed that I am one of those who sticks them in drawers cause they seem rare. I know better, but still. I don’t care for the $1 coins, but I miss the old large Eisenhower ones and the Kennedy half dollars, I loved getting those as a kid.
People with registers hate $2 bills cause they usually have no where to put them, but a lot of people like to get them because they’re “rare”…
I hate “In God We Trust” I believe it was put on in the 50′s after a preacher circulated a petition and got enough signatures (http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml). Interesting enough it first appeared on the 2 cent coin (and there was once a 3 cent coin, who knew). See what happens when people don’t pay attention? Side note: “Under God” was also added to the pledge of Allegiance.
Now I’m not very religious and believe in the separation of church and state, but even if you are religious I’d say there are a couple of good reasons to not have it. One, most everyone agrees that money is evil despite the good it can do, all paper money has cocaine on it, and the main reason is Jesus himself threw the money changers out of the temple. I’d say even the big man himself says religion and money do not mix.
December 10th, 2009 at 20:29
I know the $2 bill is still in circulation and that it is not rare, but i wouldn’t say people can get them anytime they want. I called my bank to see if they have any in stock; they told me they don’t order them and the only ones they have in stock are from customers. They only had one single bill when i called! So where do i go now?
December 31st, 2009 at 17:39
Interesting chain of conversation so far. I feel pretty much like Dave. I do believe in God, but I don’t think his name belongs on money. The government should separate the crap out of it.
As for keeping $2 bills, I am a saver. But not forever, I plan on buying something expensive with them someday. I will spend $1,000 in $2 on a flat screen TV! Woudn’t that get somebody all upset!
Any large bank can order them for you from a Federal Reserve. I prefer to just collect the used ones. It’s more fun to just come across old ones than to order new ones, that’s cheating.
January 13th, 2010 at 23:16
@ james
you do not have to go to a bank that you have an account at just go to any bank and you shall receive
March 21st, 2010 at 17:20
I had a friend who offered $2 bills for change in his home improvement business. However, he soon quit the process because too many people got suspicious or wanted $1 bills instead. Where he lives, I suppose that George Washington is more appreciated than Thomas Jefferson.
May 6th, 2010 at 16:55
@ Dave
In response to the earlier assertion of when “In God We Trust” was put on coins, you mentioned the 50′s. I assume you meant the 1950′s? Actually it was a request made to Sec. Of Treas. in 1861 by a reverend in PA. This was due to a lerger religious/faith sentiment that grew during the Civil War.
http://www.ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/currency/in-god-we-trust.shtml
Not trying to be argumentative, but if this were to come up in one of the readers’ conversations it’s best to be equipped with facts. Not a fan or critic of the motto; however, it is interesting to consider the different mindsets or dispositions our country has gone through. (after 9/11 there was a larger faith sentiment as well…at least polls reflected as much).
Thanks
August 6th, 2010 at 21:46
Isn’t there something about the $2 bill having a misprint with one of the table legs missing and only the man’s leg there instead? Is this bill worth anything?
October 17th, 2010 at 00:16
I give out $2 in change at my store all the time. Customers love seeing them and it really draws attention to my store. It really speeds up the transaction process when using $2 over(2)$1 bills. My bank has also helped me with this by ordering more $2 bills since the first week they ran out of their supply. Been doing it for 2-3 months now.
December 30th, 2010 at 23:18
I work at a gas station and I give out $2 bills and 50¢ coins in change all the time. (There are five bill-slots like in most cash registers in the U.S. Like any place that doesn’t do large volume transactions, there are no $50s or $100s in the drawer (they go directly the safe). From right to left, there are slots for $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢. ($1 coins go in the same slot as $1 bills.) That there isn’t room for them in a cashier’s drawer is nonsense.
February 16th, 2011 at 23:22
I think it’s time we replace the $1 bill with $1 coin. Then replace the $1 tray slot in cash register with the $2 bill. I’ve been doing my part by ordering the $1 coin from the mint and spending them around town. One time though in DC, there was slot for $1 coin in a parking meter, and i put $2 and it just ate it up. Sad day. Used quarter instead.
March 23rd, 2011 at 11:02
That signature appears on all denominations of U.S. paper currency issued in the year 2003
July 20th, 2011 at 15:17
Absolutely!! I carry twos around with me all the time, and dollar coins. If I break a large bill and can’t work it so that I won’t get dollar bills back, I’ll just put them in another pocket and yank them from circulation. Those don’t get spent and go right back to the bank for more two dollar bills and dollar coins. But for as many dollars in odd currency that I’ve spread around, I’ve never gotten any as change.
August 18th, 2011 at 21:51
People still use cash? That’s so cute. From the looks of this comments section, it must be all of the atheists. As a 21st-century gnostic theist, I prefer to pay for things with my cell phone or a credit card.
September 30th, 2011 at 01:21
I Work at Safeway and we get $2 bills every other week or so from some blind customers who shop with us. But i am pretty sure they go directly back to the Federal Reserve Bank because we have no slot in our cash drawers for them .
October 4th, 2011 at 06:25
Don’t stores and cashiers refuse or give you a hard time with the bills, which is silly because who would fake a $2 while the store accepts $50 bills or restaurant, $2 bills however feel like they are worth more because in a few cases they are uncirculated quality, feel like real new crisp money