Superstitious people once thought that the $2 bill was cursed and “unlucky.”
However, the deuce won’t curse its bearer; rather, it might bring good fortune and a few thousand bucks.
To find out how much your $2 bill is worth, continue reading!
Many Americans have long derided the $2 note as the unloved stepsibling of the $1 note. Some people even believe that $2 bills are no longer in use, are rare, or are no longer printed.
However, according to the Federal Reserve, there were only 1.6 billion crisp $2 notes in circulation in 2023—a negligible number when compared to 14.5 billion $1 or 11.2 billion $20 notes.
The banknote, which is widely undervalued, has acquired some traction in the last 20 years. In 2004, there were just 0.07 billion in circulation, which is a tiny portion of the $24.2 billion in currency that year.
The Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) explains that “for most of their history, $2 notes have been unpopular, being viewed as unlucky or simply awkward to use in cash exchanges.”
Notes were often “returned to the Treasury with corners torn off, making them mutilated currency and unfit for reissue,” the BEP writes of superstitious people who ripped the corners, hoping to reverse the curse.
Meanwhile, the New York Times wrote in a 1925 article, “He who sits in a game of chance with a two-dollar bill in his pocket is thought to be saddled with a jinx. They have been avoided as ill-starred.”
The $2 bill was introduced to U.S. circulation 163 years ago. Some believe that finding a $2 bill can bring good luck, so here’s a little luck to start your new year off right.
