15 Rarest and Most Valuable 2 Dollar Bills Worth Money

In the year 1862, the first 2 dollar bill was printed with the portrait of Alexander Hamilton, statesman and founding father of the United States of America. Many now living in the United States do not know Alexander Hamilton, except if you are a history buff. Strangely, $2 bills are unfamiliar to some too.

According to Business Insider $2 dollar bills are the rarest money produced in the US. They estimate that there’s about 1.2 billion $2 bills in circulation. This sounds like a lot of bills but compared to the $1 bill which is 11.7 billion in circulation, you begin to appreciate the rarity of the $2 bill. If you have a $2 bill from years past, you may wonder how much you could sell it for, how much it’s worth.

Numismatics and collectors thrive off this unfamiliarity. Rare bills are collectors’ dream collections. The less the bill is known of, the higher its value. There are rare $2 bills worth a lot of money and 15 of them are on the chart below which should give you an idea of how much the one you have might be worth too.

15 Rarest And Most Valuable 2 Dollar Bills Worth Money ( Price And Chart)

No	Year	Name	Grade	Price
1	2009	2009 $2 Bill	Extremely Fine 45	$17,625
2	1864	1864 $2 Bill	Apparently Fine 15	$8,625
3	1976	1976 Federal Reserve $2 Bill	Extremely Fine 45	$3,450
4	1862	$2 Legal Tender 1862	About New 58	$3,220
5	1928	1928 $2 Legal Tender Note	Choice Uncirculated	$2,400
6	1865	1865 $2 Serial Number 1 Original Deuce	Choice Extremely Fine 45	$21,150
7	1899	1899 $2 Silver Certificate	Gem New 66	$1,762.50
8	1875	1875 $2 Slater National Bank	About New 50	$8,812.50
9	1878	1878 $2 Legal Tender	Choice About New 55	$1,233.75
10	1886	1886 $2 Silver Certificate	Choice New 63	$2,585
11	1891	1891 $2 Silver Certificate	Choice About New 55	$2,585
12	1777	1777 $2 Continental Currency	Choice About New 58	$2,530
13	1779	1779 $2 Continental Currency	Very Choice New 64	$1,380
14	1874	1874 $2 First National Bank	AU 55	$14,950
15	1869	1869 $2 Legal Tender	VF 30	$3,335

1.1939 $2

Year: 2009

Grade: EF 45

Price: $17,625

This dollar note is from the year 2009 and is considered rare, valuable. They sold at Heritage Auctions April 14, 2015 for more than 17 thousand dollars. This is a serial number 1 $2 bill exceptional in its existence. Heritage Auctions has only sold one of these in the past which made this sale a very exciting one at the time. This specimen was barely circulated and for this reason was graded extremely fine. This bill bears the image of Thomas Jefferson on the front. The vignette on the back depicts the signing of the declaration of independence.

2.1864 $2 Bill

Year: 1864

Grade: Apparently Fine 15

Price: $8,625

The $2 bill above is one of four known to exist. It was created in 1864. It features a Santa Claus vignette. This $2 dollar bill is so rare it is unlikely that the new owner of it would be interested in selling it. However, experts predict that in the future the value of this rare dollar bill will climb. It may then sell for anywhere around the neighborhood of a million dollars or more. This bill has the words WHITE MOUNTAIN BANK  on the front. This two dollar bill sold at Heritage Auctions on January 5, 2012.

3.1976 Federal Reserve Note

Year: 1976

Grade: Extremely Fine 45

Price: $3,450

This two dollar bill was sold on Heritage Auctions on June 18, 2010. The error on this bill that makes it rare and valuable is double third printing. It is a federal reserve note from 1976, one of the most dramatically printing errors Heritage Auctions has ever seen. This one also constitutes the rarest error ever seen on a $2 bill. It is estimated that it would be worth more in the future.

4.1862 Legal Tender $2

Year: 1862

Grade: About New 58

Price: $3,220

What gives this $2 bill from 1862 such a high value is the margins and the perfect color. There are those at Heritage Auctions who believe this $2 bill should have been graded a 66. At any rate this one went on sale on June 18, 2010 for $3,220 price. It is one of the peculiar bills of the United States. It has a serial number of five sets of numbers on both sides. The color separation is one of the best on any bill of the time.

5.1928 Legal Tender Note $2

Year: 1928

Grade: Choice Uncirculated

Price: $2,400

Here’s a rare and valuable $2 bill from 1928 which sold on Heritage Auctions on September 7, 2018 for $2,400. It is a US legal tender note that has managed to maintain its crispiness for almost a century. There were 91 2$ bills on this slot the day it was sold, two of which were separated from this run by a few serial numbers. These specimens come with Jefferson’s image on the front and his house, Monticello on the back.

6.1865 $2 Serial Number 1 Original Deuce

Year: 1865

Grade: Choice Extremely Fine 45

Price: $21,150

This $2 is one of 36 serial number 1 deuces that has been documented in the whole country. The bank from which it came, First National Bank Washington, operated from 1864 to April 5, 1878. There are those who believe however that this note didn’t come from this bank on account of the superior printing; the ink which is dark, the paper being bright. It is believed that the bank that made it is a better one than the National Bank. Whatever the case, this $2 bill was graded Choice Extremely Fine.  It sold on Heritage Auctions on January 7, 2016 for $21,150.

7.1899 $2 Silver Certificate

Year: 1899

Grade: Gem New 66

Price: $1,762.50

Silver Certificates were issued by the US government as a form of paper currency beginning in 1878. This one here was issued in 1899. Silver Certificates were phased out in 1964. This $2 note was sold on Heritage Auctions on January 10, 2014 for $1,762.50. This note is signed on the left of the seal vertically by S.C Bautz. The signature reads, “Asst. Treasurer U.S.” The note comes with a deep, beautiful color and raised printing that is visible to the eyes.

8.1875 $2 Slater National Bank, North Providence

Year: 1875

Grade: About New 50

Price: $8,812.50

PCGS lists this $2 bank note as fully uncirculated. It is among the first two issues from the Slater National Bank. The design of the state seal on the note dates back to colonial times. The motto on the note says: HOPE. The shield is placed on an ocean, the anchor has a modern look to it. On the front is the image of liberty fully clothed. The note went on sale in Heritage Auctions on January 10, 2013. It sold for more than eight thousand dollars.

9.1878 $2 Legal Tender

Year: 1878

Grade: Choice About New 55

Price: $1,233.75

This PCGS graded legal tender wws from 1878. It comes with very beautiful colors and they are well blended too. This note is considered a rarity too. Collectors have high hopes for it and some think it should have sold for more than what it did. Which is the truth since it is highly graded at AB 55. It went on sale on January 11, 2013 at Heritage Auctions and sold for more that a thousand dollars.

10.1886 $2 Silver Certificate

Year: 1886

Grade: Choice New 63

Price: $2,585

This is a note from 1886 that officials of heritage Auctions believe ought to have been graded higher, at least a Choice New 65. At any rate, the note is considered rare and very beautiful. It comes with a margin, nice colors. It has a high appeal that works in its favour that makes it likely to sell higher in the future. This one went on sale at Heritage Auctions on January 11, 2013. It sold for more than two thousand dollars.

11.1891 $2 Silver Certificate

Year: 1891

Grade: Choice About New 55

Price: $2,585

This extremely beautiful note is signed on. It comes with a margin that is wide and the embossing on it original. The note would have been graded higher by PCGS if it didn’t have the almost invisible centerfold. It sold on Heritage Auctions for $2,585 on January 11, 2013.

12.1777 $2 Continental Currency

Year: 1777

Grade: Choice About New 58

Price: $2,530

This $2 note was printed on May 20, 1777. This is the first uncirculated example of this $2 from centuries ago. It is best grade PCGS has encountered. This well centered note shows no sign of circulation. It breaks all bounds in rarity. It came from the Collection of The Patriotic American. It was sold on Heritage Auctions on August 11, 2010 for $2,530.

13.1779 $2 Continental Currency

Year: 1779

Grade: Very Choice New 64

Price: $1,380

This is the finest note from the year 1779 graded by PCGS. Heritage Auctions believe this $2 note should have graded higher. It has been well preserved for centuries. It was printed by Hall and Sellers. It sold on Heritage Auctions for $1,380 on August 11, 2010.

14.1874 $2 First National Bank

Year: 1874

Grade: AU 55

Price: $14,950

This is one of the most expensive $2 more ever sold. The note is from the First National Bank ans is a collectors dream $2 note. An amazingly bright design and perfectly centered. The signatures are very clear. It has only one serial number on the front. It sold on January 8, 2010 at Heritage Auctions for more than 14 thousand dollars.

15.1869 $2 Legal Tender

Year: 1869

Grade: VF 30

Price: $3,335

One of the most beautiful $2 bills on this list, the 1869 note was a legal tender in that year. Now it’s a collectors delight. This bill shows strong colors and a good margin. It is one of the best specimens from that collection with a star in the serial number. It is graded VF 30. It sold on Heritage Auctions for more than three thousand dollars on September 28, 2007.

How Much Are $2 Dollars Worth?

Two dollar bills are valued by considering the condition, age, serial number, and the presence of misprints.

Condition

Any $2 note that shows significant circulation signs would be less valuable than one that is uncirculated.

Age

The general rule of thumb is, the older a $2 bill is, the higher the value placed on it. You first have to check the date on it. This is why bills from 1700 and 1800s are usually quite valuable, as the chart below will show.

Serial Number

There are different serial numbers on $2 bills. Some are more peculiar than others. Others end with a star in front of it, making them quite valuable.

Misprints

If a $2 bill has misprints like a doubling in the seal, or a serial number that is missing a digit, or is placed upside down, it makes the bill more valuable too.

$2 Bill Value Chart

The values in this chart are based on the value placed on $2 bills that have been sold on auction sites. They are also graded $2 bills by PCGS. The choice of bills is based on their age, the colors, and their condition.

Year	Seal Color	Circulated Value	Uncirculated Value
1862	Red	$500—$1000	$2800
1869	Red	$400—$1000	$2400
1878	Red	$275—$475	$1100
1939	Green	$100	$210
1935	Green	$50	$149
1963	Red	$100	$204
1976	Green	$528	$792
1928-D	Red	$100	$159
1953	Red	$50	$266

Do They Still Make $2 Bills?

Yes, $2 bills are still freshly printed in the US. In 2020, 1.4 billion $2 bills were in circulation and in 2022 the department planned to print 204 million of the bills. Yet, $2 bills make up only 0.001% of the total $2 trillion value of currency that is in the US. It may appear as though two dollar bills are rare, this is because they are hardly used in day-to-day business transactions by Americans. They are almost always in circulation unlike other bills.

Consequently, the treasury doesn’t have to print them every year like they do other bills. They are ordered every few years by the federal government only to compliment what’s left of it in circulation.

The $2 bill was once associated with bad luck and people would not spend it, they’d rip the corners to stop the curse from getting to them. In the end, torn bills were trashed and unfit to use, thereby intensifying its unpopularity. Furthermore, the $2 was associated with gamblers, and prostitutes. Corrupt politicians bribed voters with it. During elections anyone holding the $2 in public was thought to have gotten it off a politician, which means they’ve sold their vote.

To make the two dollars attractive to the public, the treasury redesigned it with the portrait of the Declaration of Independence on the back but once again the public missed the point of it.

In 1976 when the new bills came out, people hoarded the bills because they were too beautiful. Many would do this because they thought the bills were collectors items. Officials at postal offices made things worse when they would only stamp the bills only on April 13, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday.

Once more, people began to see the bills are commemorative notes. The $2 bills also didn’t have fans because cash registers were never modified to hold them, not in the 1800s when the notes first came out, and not now that it’s been ages later. Some experts wonder if the $2 would have been more accepted if registers had been modified to have slots for the bill.

How Rare Are $2 Bills?

Two dollar bills have had a run of bad luck with the American public for so long. And when it comes to rarity, they have a love-hate relationship with both collectors and the public alike. They are the rarest of all the money that’s produced by the government of the United States, even though they’re still being printed. Two dollar bills are proof that a currency doesn’t have to go out of print to become rare.

As already established, they constitute just a fraction of all currency in circulation. Only about 1.2 billion $2 bills are in the public’s hands. The disdain for the $2 bill attained great heights when it was not produced between 1970 and 1975, and the public didn’t even miss it. At the time, the government didn’t think it was in demand.

There is some legitimacy to the perceived, modern rareness of the two dollar bill. For example, the two dollar bill is still associated with prostitutes and strip clubs till now. The least bill you can put in a stripper’s G-string is a two dollar bill. So if a man is seen holding one, people—including his significant other—are quick to assume he’s been to a strip club. The rarity of the two dollar bill can also be said to be an artificial one and sometimes localized.

In some states or cities, they receive a two dollar bill once or twice a week. In others the frequency is higher. In some localities, shop owners never touch one for months. It’s worse now that most shoppers make all their purchases with cards. And some shop owners in parts of the US still fear the two dollar bill. They’d accept it, but quickly remove them from the register only to replace the bills with one dollar bills. Overall, the two dollar bill is rare by sentiment, and also by design. The Treasury department doesn’t print too much of it, because the public won’t use them. The public won’t use them because of its questionable past and it being an all together odd denomination.

Where To Get $2 Bills

You can get $2 bills from any big bank in your locality. Even though the public feel less use for the bills than any others, banks still keep $2 notes handy and will exchange them for $100 bills if you ask for it. If you approach any teller at the bank he would be more than willing to exchange 50 pieces of $2 notes for your $100 bill because the two dollars are just sitting in the vaults waiting for lovers of smaller bills.

Now the thing is, if you don’t ask for $2 bills, tellers won’t likely give them to you. It is either the case that tellers feel no enthusiasm for the bills, or they just assume that customers don’t want them. Evidence shows though, that banks keep a sizable amount of $2 bills.

Final Thoughts

Many $2 bills you will find are worth that amount—$2. Especially if they are from recent years. And if you are a US currency enthusiast, you’d have noticed by now how bills are different in value from coins. You’d also notice the disparity in sentiments for bills. Your $2 note has to be very old to be worth enough. And it has to be graded too. The two dollar bill has some help in some way. They are not as accepted as the $1 and $5 bills. This also adds to their rarity. And some folks still think certain two dollar bills are commemorative notes. Did you know the $2 is also called Dirty Tom? They were called Tom because they featured the image of Thomas Jefferson on the front. And because they have been associated with gambling, prostitutes and election rigging in the old days, they were called Dirty Tom.