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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → The 2-dollar bill thread.
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The 2-dollar bill thread.
2005-03-08, 7:32 PM #1
To make a story short, I was in class when a student opened his wallet to show another student an interesting sight. This wallet caught my attention because it mostly contained around 20 2-dollar bills. I never even touched this rare bill, and this guy in class has a whole bundle full of them. So I asked for one, and he gave one to me. To be honest, I find this suspicious. Who pays a person with just 2-dollar bills?

Also, when was the 2-dollar last issued and produced?
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
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2005-03-08, 7:34 PM #2
I have a few of them. They're not really that uncommon. They are legal tender though, just no one really uses them.

People don't use them though, they just hold on to them because compared to other bills they could be considered "rare", even though they're really not. They'll never be worth anything more than $2 though.
2005-03-08, 7:37 PM #3
Come to think of it, probably it's not too suspicious. I must be over-reacting. Did yours also have red serial numbers?
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
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2005-03-08, 7:38 PM #4
They just went out of print in the 80's, and weren't printed nearly as much as other bills, so now they're all just kept by collectors or stowed away with people's random collections of crap that will never be worth more than $2.
2005-03-08, 7:39 PM #5
i got one last year that was issued in the last 5 years, i thought it was pretty cool
Holy soap opera Batman. - FGR
DARWIN WILL PREVENT THE DOWNFALL OF OUR RACE. - Rob
Free Jin!
2005-03-08, 7:39 PM #6
I come across them from time to time.
Pissed Off?
2005-03-08, 7:40 PM #7
Two dollar bills were replaced with a coin here in Canada, in 1996 IIRC.
2005-03-08, 7:41 PM #8
I think they're still printed for "collector's items" and such to be sold by the mints (like silver dollars and such). In the 80's they stopped printing them to put them in circulation though.
2005-03-08, 7:42 PM #9
I never understood the point of having a dollar bill.
2005-03-08, 7:43 PM #10
Around here you can walk into most banks and simply ask for two dollar bills and they usually happen. At least a few years ago that' show it was. Also the post office often gave them out with change.
Real Programmers always confuse Christmas and Halloween because Oct31 == Dec25
2005-03-08, 7:45 PM #11
Quote:
Originally posted by CavEmaN
I never understood the point of having a dollar bill.


Vending machines.
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2005-03-08, 7:51 PM #12
Quote:
Originally posted by CavEmaN
I never understood the point of having a dollar bill.


Uhm, huhh??? The dollar bill is the most widely used form of currency.. easily....

Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2005-03-08, 8:01 PM #13
i got bored and did some sleuthing
Quote:
Facts About $2 Notes
blank

* The first $2 notes (called United States Notes or "Legal Tenders") were issued by the Federal Government in 1862 and featured a portrait of the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton (1789-1795).

* The first use of Thomas Jefferson's portrait on $2 notes was on Series 1869 United States Notes. The same portrait has been used for all series of $2 United States Notes as well as for all $2 Federal Reserve Notes.

* Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate in Virginia, was first featured as the vignette on the back of the Series 1928 $2 United States Note.

* In celebration of the United States' bicentennial, a $2 Federal Reserve Note, Series 1976, was introduced. The new design maintained the portrait of Jefferson on the face but the back was changed from Monticello to a vignette of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

* Vignette on the Back of the Current $2 Federal Reserve Note
The $2 Federal Reserve Note features an engraving of John Trumbull's painting "The Signing of the Declaration of Independence." The original Trumbull painting portrayed 47 people, 42 of whom were signers of the Declaration (there were 56 total). However, because of a limited amount of space on the note, 5 of 47 men in the painting were not included in the engraving.

Here

And
Quote:
Question - Why did the Treasury Department remove the $2 bill from circulation?

Answer- We receive many letters asking why the $2 bill is no longer in circulation. Contrary to the impression of many people, the Treasury Department did not stop circulating the $2 bill. On September 12, 1996, Robert E. Rubin, the 70th Secretary of the Treasury, was presented with a new series $2 bill. The Series 1995 notes were printed at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing's (BEP) Western Currency Facility and bear the seal of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

The $2 bill remains one of our circulating currency denominations. According to BEP statistics, 590,720,000 Series 1976 $2 bills were printed and as of February 28, 1999, there was $1,166,091,458 worth of $2 bills in circulation worldwide.

The key for successfully circulating the two-dollar bill is for retailers to use them just like any other denomination in their daily operations. In addition, most commercial banks will readily supply their retail customers with these bills if their customers request them in sufficient volume to justify stocking them in their vaults. However, neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve System can force the distribution or use of any denomination of currency on banks, businesses or individuals

Here
Holy soap opera Batman. - FGR
DARWIN WILL PREVENT THE DOWNFALL OF OUR RACE. - Rob
Free Jin!
2005-03-08, 8:06 PM #14
Quote:
Originally posted by Echoman
Vending machines.


When I think about it. Your right, that pretty much sums it up.
I was just petting the bunny, and it went into the soup can, and part of my hand went with it. - Red vs Blue
2005-03-08, 8:10 PM #15
Ive got one around here somewhere...


Theres no point, really. It makes more sense to carry 2 1$ bills instead. Theres the comic value, I suppose, but that doesnt last very long.
And when the moment is right, I'm gonna fly a kite.
2005-03-08, 8:35 PM #16
My grandmother used to give them to my siblings and I as little gifts between actual holidays such as birthdays of Christmas. Half of it was the coolness of having a $2 bill.

Try taking them to various retail stores and see how people react. There are plenty of people who probably think they're fake. I've read a few unconfirmed urban legends reguarding clerks and store owners trying to kick out customers for counterfitting, and when they call in the guard the guard has a "...are you braindead?" look on his face towards the clerk.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2005-03-08, 8:44 PM #17
Quote:
Originally posted by Echoman
Vending machines.


Coins serve a better purpose as vending machines tend to reject defaced and half notes (remember kiddies: it is good to cut your dollar bill in half, that way you get two dollar bills ;) )


Quote:
Originally posted by Freelancer
Uhm, huhh??? The dollar bill is the most widely used form of currency.. easily....

Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?


people more prone to defacing their notes. Like me.
2005-03-08, 8:48 PM #18
Quote:
Originally posted by Freelancer
Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?


I totally agree with Freelancer. Who wants forty dollars in quarters (or worse) in their pockets?
The man in black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed...
2005-03-08, 8:51 PM #19
Quote:
Originally posted by CavEmaN
Coins serve a better purpose as vending machines tend to reject defaced and half notes (remember kiddies: it is good to cut your dollar bill in half, that way you get two dollar bills ;) )



Besides the illegalities of doing that, stores usually won't take them, and banks won't exchange them unless there is 2/3rds of the bill there. (So you would need both halves)
2005-03-08, 8:53 PM #20
Quote:
Originally posted by Cool Matty
Besides the illegalities of doing that, stores usually won't take them, and banks won't exchange them unless there is 2/3rds of the bill there. (So you would need both halves)


the half notes was a joke ... and by defaced I mean wrinkled or really badly folded.
2005-03-08, 9:07 PM #21
I get around 2-3 $2 bills at work each week. People use them if they're not stupid and actually believe they'll be worth something. They're not really collectors items, they're real money. Collector's items would be like 1904 pennies.
"Those ****ing amateurs... You left your dog, you idiots!"
2005-03-08, 9:28 PM #22
Quote:
Originally posted by Echoman
Come to think of it, probably it's not too suspicious. I must be over-reacting. Did yours also have red serial numbers?


Didn't notice if you got an answer to that. I have three. Had them since I was a kid (or, roughly, over 20 years). They were missing for awhile but my dad found them stuffed in a book of his. They've all been in protective sleeves since I've had them. One has the red serial numbers and the other two are green.

The coolest of the bunch is a bill printed in 1976 that has a four stamp series of the same picture (of the signing of the Declaration of Independance) that is printed on the back of the bill postage cancelled on July 4, 1976. The bicentenial.

Here's the scan:

[http://webpages.charter.net/wookie06/images/2dollahs.jpg]

Fullsize
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2005-03-08, 9:34 PM #23
Cool
Pissed Off?
2005-03-08, 9:47 PM #24
Quote:
Originally posted by Freelancer
Uhm, huhh??? The dollar bill is the most widely used form of currency.. easily....

Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?


We have 1$ and 2$ coins in canada. It's not a problem at all. In fact, it's much more practical for vending machines and such (aah, I remember them olde days when we still had bills... God I feel old now :()
The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
2005-03-08, 10:00 PM #25
Quote:
Originally posted by Flexor
We have 1$ and 2$ coins in canada. It's not a problem at all. In fact, it's much more practical for vending machines and such (aah, I remember them olde days when we still had bills... God I feel old now :()


It's not a problem for Canadians because you're all so freakin' poor. Us rich capitalists can't be bothered with carrying all those coins. It's already far too hard to close our wallets with all the bills and receipts for our frivilous purchases contained therein.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2005-03-08, 10:04 PM #26
I thought you all walked around with those large hats and bags with the money signs on them.
The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
2005-03-08, 10:18 PM #27
I have a $2 in me closet somewhere.
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2005-03-08, 10:56 PM #28
If a bank will accept a not that consists of 2/3 of a bill... you could create 4 2/3 bill out of 3 bills... OMGWTFLOLBBQ!
2005-03-08, 11:06 PM #29
I have a two dollar bill around here somewhere...
I have never recived a two dollar bill as change anywhere.
"I'm only civil because I don't know any swear words."

-Calvin
2005-03-09, 1:02 AM #30
Quote:
Originally posted by Wookie06
Uhm, huhh??? The dollar bill is the most widely used form of currency.. easily....

Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?


Pocketsful of coins? The most you would ever carry is a few loonies and toonies...see cus we also have these other crazy Canadian things called 5 dollar bills, 10 dollar bills, 20 dollar bills...etc.
2005-03-09, 4:23 AM #31
Dollars are the most used to purchase things. It makes sense because I always see people with TONS of dollars in their wallets. What if they were coins? I don't like carrying around 3-4 pounds in coins :P
D E A T H
2005-03-09, 5:45 AM #32
The biggest problem with notes is that they don't last very long. A typical note will only survive five or ten years in circulation before it is worn and damaged beyond use, before a new one will have to be reprinted to replace it. Coins can remain in circulation for decades before they have to be reminted.

And coins are undoubtedly far better for vending machines than notes.

The system of £1 coin, £2 coin, £5 note, £10 note, £20 note works excellently, there is never the problem of being weighed down with spare change (although old people tend to spend a long time at checkouts paying the exact change). That might have been a problem before the £2 coin, but no more.

It's odd that the $2 bill isn't printed anymore, if the $1 bill is used so much. With a $2 bill, you'd have half as many bills, so instead of carrying about ten $1 bills, you might have four $2 bills and two $1 bills for spare change.


The biggest problem American currency has is that it's all the same colour.
"The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt. " - Bertrand Russell
The Triumph of Stupidity in Mortals and Others 1931-1935
2005-03-09, 5:48 AM #33
I believe the life-span of a dollar note is around 6 months.
SnailIracing:n(500tpostshpereline)pants
-----------------------------@%
2005-03-09, 5:51 AM #34
Quote:
Originally posted by Dj Yoshi
Dollars are the most used to purchase things. It makes sense because I always see people with TONS of dollars in their wallets. What if they were coins? I don't like carrying around 3-4 pounds in coins :P


People here just don't carry single dollars as much. Basicly you just need three coins to form 5$, which is the lowest bill. So you carry around 5$ bills and whatever surplus you have is in coins. If you need to buy something cheap and you have no coins left, you just pay with a five and then you get a couple of coins of change. So by doing that, you never find yourself with more than two or three coins in your wallet at a time. Especially if you're like me and you remove anything lower than 25c after you get home and store it in a jar!

I have exactly 9.25$ in my wallet right now (yes I checked).

-One 5$ bill
-Two 2$ coins
-One 25c coin.

Only three coins there. Not a problem.

Everytime I go to america I like to use a bunch of 1$ bills just because it makes me feel richer. :D
The music industry is a cruel and shallow money trench where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.
2005-03-09, 6:03 AM #35
Our state representative has a bunch of $2 bills that are made into oragami elephants (yes, he's republican) and he leaves them for tips.
"Ford, you're turning into a penguin. Stop it."
2005-03-09, 6:22 AM #36
Walk into just about any bank in the US and ask for a $2 and they'll give you one. From what I've heard you almost never see them in circulation, but banks always have them available.

Damn you Americans and your equally sized non-different coloured bills!! :mad:
The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.
2005-03-09, 6:53 AM #37
Quote:
Originally posted by Freelancer
Uhm, huhh??? The dollar bill is the most widely used form of currency.. easily....

Who the hell wants to walk around with pockets full of frickin' coins?


Don't go to a Euro-using country. The smallest bill is 5 Euros.
This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
2005-03-09, 7:10 AM #38
Quote:
Originally posted by Raoul Duke
Pocketsful of coins? The most you would ever carry is a few loonies and toonies...see cus we also have these other crazy Canadian things called 5 dollar bills, 10 dollar bills, 20 dollar bills...etc.


Why did your quote credit me for Freelancer's post?
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2005-03-09, 7:34 AM #39
Quote:
Originally posted by Naythn
Don't go to a Euro-using country. The smallest bill is 5 Euros.


Yeah, it can be annoying at times. Though, the 2-euro coins are quite handy.
2005-03-09, 7:36 AM #40
Quote:
Originally posted by Echoman
I believe the life-span of a dollar note is around 6 months.


18, I think, for a $1 bill. A $100 bill is something like 8 years. Coins last for several decades.

Each bill costs the Tresuary about 4 cents to make, and there's more than 8 billion in circulation. I guess that's what they mean by you gotta spend money to make money.
The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.
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