Way Too Far

Almost every $2 bill is worth just $2.

In early November, Heritage Auctions sold a 1976 $2 note with the serial number 00000002 for $4,000. Widespread media coverage of the event led to the misconception that the denomination itself is valuable, when in fact it was the serial number—combined with its pristine condition—that got the bids. “Out of all the $2 notes that are issued, probably 99 percent of them are worth face value,” says Raiden Honaker, a consignment director for Heritage Auctions. “Over the past five years, more than 100 million $2 notes have been printed. So, beyond common.” Learn more about the history of the U.S. $2 note here.

ANA Numismatic Education Manager Sam Gelberd believes it is long past time to squash the myth that $2 notes are rare. He received over two dozen calls and emails in the days following the sale. “I regularly get these inquiries a few times a week regardless of this latest Heritage auction,” he says. (His “’Two’ Many Rumors” article addresses the topic in depth.)

Suffice it to say that if a $2 bill makes a bang at auction, it’s not because it’s a run-of-the-mill $2 bill.

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A version of this article appears in the January 2024 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).