ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Could that $2 bill in your wallet be worth thousands? Here's what you need to look for

You need to look for the series date located on the right of the photograph of George Washington.
UPDATED NOV 13, 2024
Representational image showing a $2 bill (Cover image source: Getty Images | Ivan Halkin)
Representational image showing a $2 bill (Cover image source: Getty Images | Ivan Halkin)

If you have old $2 bills lying around in your house, here's some good news, those bills could be worth thousands of dollars now. Yes, some newer bills such as the ones printed back in 2003, could be of great value. According to Heritage Auctions, the largest auction house in the world that deals with currency, a $2 bill from 2004, with a very rare serial number, was sold at an auction for $2,400. Later, it was resold for $4,000.

"On June 25, 1776, the Continental Congress authorized issuance of the $2 denominations in 'bills of credit' for the defense of America," the U.S. Currency Education Program said.

The auction house said that these uncirculated $2 bills from nearly every year up to 1917 are worth more than $1,000 each. So, if you have a $2 bill with a red seal, you can sell it for up to $2,500, and if you have one of those bills that has a brown or blue seal, it could be worth even more. 

Did you know that Martha Washington is the only woman whose portrait has ever appeared on United States currency? | Getty Images | 	Bettmann
Martha Washington is the only woman whose portrait has ever appeared on United States currency | (Image source: Getty Images | Bettmann)

As per CBS, there's an 1869 $2 Legal Tender note, which is known as Rainbow Note among collectors and enthusiasts, which can fetch more than $3,000. The bill can also be found on platforms like eBay, for $7,999. As per Wealthynickel, some dollar bills printed between 2014 and 2016 feature a mistake from the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing that could make them worth $150,000 by collectors.



 

According to WealthyNickel, you need to look for the series date located on the far right of the photograph of George Washington. It must read, “Series 2013." The bills also need to have a "B" Federal Reserve Seal above the serial number located on the right side of the photo. The series number ends with a  (★) and must fall between B00000001★ – B00250000★ or B03200001★-B09600000★, via NBC Los Angeles. 

“It’s very rare that the Federal Reserve would mess up an order, and then it reaches circulation," Chad Hawk, vice president of PMG, a professional paper money grading company headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, told Fox Business. This is exactly why these bills hold so much value. 

A woman surrounded by US banknotes | 	Alfred Gescheidt
A woman surrounded by US banknotes | (Image source: Getty Images | Alfred Gescheidt)

“You just don’t see that error in U.S. currency," he added. The sets of $1 bills were printed — one in 2014 and another in 2016, feature these errors which sent in more than 6 million misprinted $1 bills into circulation before the mistake was found.

"In 2014 and 2016, there were orders sent by the Federal Reserve to facilities in both D.C. and Fort Worth to go ahead [and] print the [same] serial numbers," Hawk added. "So all the notes were $1 bills from New York [in] 2013, which, for your normal circulated currency in your wallet, would just be a normal $1 bill," he said.

Apart from this, another factor that may contribute to the value of the bills is the condition that they are in. According to sources, some local dealers have currency graded through companies like PMG or PCGS, via NY Post.

This article originally appeared 3 months ago.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The sharks did not expect the product to taste as good as it did, considering what it was made from.
4 hours ago
The designer was also commissioned by top brands and worked for the royal family.
5 hours ago
The host had a look of bewilderment on his face which was absolutely hilarious.
6 hours ago
Things did not seem to be going well for the entrepreneur due to her high energy.
9 hours ago
The guest might have had high expectations, but they were quickly brought down to earth.
10 hours ago
The contestant was unable to contain her excitement and hugged the model.
1 day ago
Two of the players got it right, and while the player who lost didn't mind, fans were not satisfied.
1 day ago
Lisa celebrated her birthday in style with a perfect two-card guess to win the big prize.
1 day ago
Rick Harrison did what he could to console the guest who said that he had lost faith in NASCAR.
1 day ago
Both the guest and the expert were fascinated by how well the automaton worked.
2 days ago
One of the entrepreneurs broke down in tears, explaining all the struggles they had to go through.
2 days ago
She couldn’t believe it when her doll was appraised at a five-figure sum, and laughed in disbelief.
2 days ago
Ken Jennings truly has embraced "Jeopardy!" in every way possible at this point.
2 days ago
The comedian was impressed by the simplicity of the product and amused by the pitch.
3 days ago
Harrison usually makes smart deals on the show, but this vintage car buy turned into a costly mistake.
3 days ago
Had she started the game in a better way, she might have won the five-figure prize money.
3 days ago
Barbara Corcoran made the exact same offer, and she wasn't happy about being rejected.
4 days ago
The guest believed that it was worth a modest amount of money, but that was clearly not the case.
4 days ago
With James Holzhauer in the lead, Amy Schneider and Andrew He decided to joke around.
4 days ago
Barbara Corcoran told the founders that she had never seen Greiner so passionate.
4 days ago