How to Tell If a 2 Dollar Bill Is Real: The Complete Guide (2024)

Co-authored byAnnabelle Reyes

Last Updated: August 21, 2024Fact Checked

Identifying Counterfeit $2 Bills

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1. 1

   Feel the texture of the paper. All U.S. bills are printed on paper made of 25% linen and 75% cotton.^[1] This gives the bills a unique texture that feels very different from regular paper.^[2] Hold the bill in your hand and assess the texture with your fingers. It should feel crisp and slightly rough to the touch, compared to the smooth, glossy feel of regular printer paper.

   • If you have a $5 or $10 bill that you know is real, you may find it helpful to use one of them as a reference point.
   • Compare the texture of these bills to your $2 bill. If they feel very similar, this is a good indication that your $2 bill is real.
2. 2

   Check for red and blue threads in the paper. Real U.S. bills have red and blue threads randomly distributed throughout the paper to make it harder for counterfeiters to imitate them.^[3] Pick up your $2 bill and inspect it for these small red and blue fibers. If you see them in the paper, this is a good sign that your bill is genuine.

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   Feel for raised printing on the bill. Genuine U.S. banknotes undergo a process called Intaglio printing, which gives the ink a distinctive raised texture.^[4] Run your finger along the surface of the bill to feel for this raised ink. If it’s present, this is another sign that your $2 bill is real. If the bill doesn’t have this raised texture and feels very smooth, it may be a counterfeit.

4. 4

   Look for blurry text, borders, or images. U.S. bills feature very detailed engravings and extremely neat micro-printing. On a real bill, all of the text, borders, and images will look clean and crisp. The printing on counterfeit bills, on the other hand, may look blurry or muddy.^[5] If everything looks neat and uniform on your $2 bill, this is a good indication that it's real.

5. 5

   Examine the serial number on the bill. Each genuine U.S. bill of the same denomination has its own serial number made up of a combination of eleven numbers and letters.^[6] On a real bill, the numbers should be spaced evenly and aligned in a neat row. If the numbers are printed unevenly or spaced at strange intervals, the bill may be a counterfeit.

   • If you received multiple $2 bills at the same time, check to make sure that the serial numbers are different. No genuine $2 bills will have the same serial number, so if you have multiple bills with the same number, they are fake.^[7]
6. 6

   Check for a security thread, color changing ink, or a watermark. These modern security features are used on other higher-value notes to distinguish them from counterfeits, but they aren’t present on $2 bills.^[8] If you see them on your $2 bill, it may be a counterfeit.

   • Watermarks are only used on U.S. notes with a value of $5 or more.^[9] Color changing ink is only used on U.S. notes worth $10 or more, and the vertical thread is only used on notes worth $5 or more.^[10]
7. 7

   Look for the Federal Reserve Bank Seal and the Treasury Seal. The Federal Reserve Bank Seal is black and appears to the left of the portrait on the bill. It includes the name and the corresponding letter of the Federal Reserve bank that distributed the bill. To the right of the portrait, you should see the seal of the Department of the Treasury printed in green ink.^[11]

   • Keep in mind, however, that the $2 bill was redesigned to incorporate these features in 1976. As a result, these features may not be present or may look different on bills issued before 1976.^[12]
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   Assess the portrait on the front of the bill and the vignette on the back. The current design of the $2 bill features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the front and a vignette of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on the back.^[13] Earlier designs of the bill featured a vignette of Jefferson’s Virginia estate on the back, so if your bill is a bit older, you may see this image instead of the signing of the Declaration.^[14]

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   • The earliest designs of the $2 bill featured Alexander Hamilton, so in very rare cases you may come across a bill that features a portrait of him, instead of Jefferson.^[15]

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1. 1

   The bill was printed more than 100 years ago. $2 bills have been in circulation since 1862.^[16] And, in general, the older the $2 bill, the more likely it is to be valuable. If your bill is 100 years old (or older), it may be worth anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars.^[17]

   • For example, certain $2 bills printed in the 1800s could sell for anywhere from $1,100 to $4,500 dollars.
   • Certain rarer printings from more recent years are also considered pretty valuable. Some bills from 1995 could sell for around $500, and some bills from 2003 may sell for upwards of $900 dollars.^[18]
   • To assess the value of your $2 bill, check out this helpful chart of approximate values according to U.S. Currency Auctions.
2. 2

   The bill has a very low or unique serial number. Collectors often go after bills with low serial numbers, so if your $2 bill has this feature, there’s a chance it’s worth a lot of money.^[19] Collectors also look for unique serial numbers, such as codes that are all the same digit (77777777), or codes that ascend sequentially (12345678).^[20] If you see any of these features on your bill, it could be a valuable collector’s item.

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   The bill has a red seal. A $2 bill with a red seal may sell for anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars, especially combined with other rare features.^[21] For example, a bill printed in 1890 with a red seal could sell for anywhere from $550 dollars to upwards of $4,500 dollars.^[22]

4. 4

   The bill has a portrait of Alexander Hamilton on it. When $2 bills were first issued in 1862, they featured a portrait of Alexander Hamilton. In 1869, the design of the $2 bill changed to include a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, instead.^[23] If your $2 bill features a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, this means that it was issued before the switch to Jefferson’s portrait, which makes your bill very old (and therefore more likely to be valuable).

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   The bill was uncirculated. Uncirculated bills tend to be worth more money than circulated bills from the same year. For example, a circulated $2 bill from 1880 may sell for $600-$2200, but an uncirculated bill from that same year could sell for upwards of $3500.^[24] Check out this chart to see the differences between circulated and uncirculated $2 bill values.

6. 6

   The bill has a printing error on it. Collectors often seek out bills with misprints on them, so these bills tend to sell for higher prices. For example, a $2 bill that features two serial numbers on it (one original number and one replacement number) could be worth tens of thousands of dollars.^[25] Some bills with this error will feature a star in place of the last letter, so they are called “star” notes or “star” sheets.^[26]

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   The bill is in very good condition. If your bill has any of the above features, it will be even more valuable if it’s also in good condition. Rare bills that are still crisp and clean will likely be worth more than rare bills that are crumpled or damaged.^[27]

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1. 1

   The $2 bill was first issued in 1775 and adopted a standardized design in 1929. The $2 notes of 1775 were called “Continental Currency” because they were issued by the Continental Congress to help fund the Revolutionary War.^[28] The Continentals were printed on soft paper, so they looked pretty different from current $2 bills.^[29] These notes didn’t last very long in circulation and lost value very quickly.^[30]

   • In 1861, $2 Demand Notes were created to help fund the Union’s efforts to win the Civil War, and they were the first paper currency issued by the official U.S. government (post revolution).^[31]
   • In 1862, $2 “United States notes” or “Legal Tender notes” were issued with a portrait of Alexander Hamilton. These were the first $2 bills that resembled modern iterations of American paper money, and they continued to circulate until 1971.^[32]
   • In 1869, the $2 bill was redesigned to feature Thomas Jefferson.^[33]
   • In 1929, the design of $2 bills was standardized—all U.S. bills were made about 30% smaller and each denomination was given a standard design to make it easier to identify counterfeit bills.^[34]
2. 2

   $2 bills are still in circulation but aren’t as common as other dollar values. According to the Federal Reserve, there were 1.5 billion $2 bills in circulation in 2022.^[35] This may seem like a lot, but compared to other denominations like the $5 bill and the $10 bill, the $2 bill is actually pretty uncommon. Because of this, some $2 bills are considered valuable collectors items, and certain rare variations are even worth several thousand dollars.^[36]

   • The value of $2 bills varies greatly depending on several factors (such as the year of the printing and the serial number). Unfortunately, most $2 bills won’t be worth a lot of money unless they have one or more of these unique factors.
   • If you’re lucky, however, you may have one of the rarer, more valuable variations of the bill. Below, we’ll go over some of the things to look out for to determine whether your bill is valuable.

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1. 1

   Who is on the $2 bill? The earliest $2 bills issued in 1862 featured a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, who served as the first Secretary of the Treasury. Since 1869, the $2 bill has featured a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.^[37]

2. 2

   How can you tell when a 2 dollar bill was printed? The series year appears in the bottom right quadrant of $2 bills.^[38] The series year indicates the year in which a new design of a bill was approved, not necessarily the year that the bill itself was printed. However, it can be a helpful tool to get a benchmark for how old your bill is.

   • For example, if your bill says “Series 1976,” this means that the bill features the most up-to-date design, and that it was printed in 1976 or later.^[39]
   • On older bills, you may see the words “Series 1963,” or “Series 1926,” which would indicate that you have an older bill featuring an older design.^[40]
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   What $2 bill is worth $20,000? An exceedingly rare or unique $2 bill might be worth $20,000 (or potentially more), but this does not occur very often. For example, a 1976 $2 dollar bill featuring a double-printed serial number could be worth around $20,000.^[41]

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