Facts and History of the Red Seal Two-Dollar Bill (2024)

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James Bucki

Facts and History of the Red Seal Two-Dollar Bill (1)

James Bucki

James Bucki is a nationally-recognized coin collector and numismatic expert and author, sharing his knowledge and specialized training in coin grading, minting errors, and collection techniques. He has over 50 years of numismatic and writing experience, including a monthly magazine column for the American Numismatic Association.

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Updated on 04/20/22

Facts and History of the Red Seal Two-Dollar Bill (2)

Most people have never seen a two-dollar bill because they were never widely circulated in the U.S. economy. Since the United States first printed two-dollar bills in 1862, it never found favor with the American public. Early two-dollar bills were almost twice the size of today's two-dollar bills and are known as "large size" bills. In 1928, the Treasury Department reduced the size of paper currency to the standard size it is today. Although most bills are not incredibly rare, a few two-dollar bills are more valuable than others.

History of the Two-Dollar Bill

Since the beginning, there have been several different types of two-dollar bills. These include Legal Tender Notes, National Banknotes, Silver Certificates, Treasury or Coin Notes, and Federal Reserve Bank Notes. Large size notes carried ornate designs and had various portraits of presidents, war heroes, inventors, and allegorical figures of liberty. Some of the more popular and collectible notes are the Lazy Deuce (Series 1875) and the Educational Notes (Series 1896).

Retailers and banks did not prefer the two-dollar note since there was not a standard spot for it in cash registers and teller drawers. In the 1920s, it was considered a jinx to receive a two-dollar note. It was not allowed in some casinos and racetracks. Even today, some retailers refuse to accept them because they think they are counterfeit or "play money."

The United States issued red seal two-dollar Legal Tender Notes between 1928 and 1966 (Series 1965). The front of the bill features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson by Charles Bert. The back of the note features Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, engraved by Joachim C. Benzing. In 1963, the Treasury Department added the motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" to the back of the note and placed it over the engraving of Monticello.

The treasury seal found on the note is bright red. In 1928 it was located on the left side of the note and moved to the right side of the note beginning with Series of 1953. Small size two-dollar notes were first issued in 1928 when the United States was still on the gold standard. There were still gold certificates and silver certificates still in circulation. These silver certificates had a blue treasury seal to differentiate them from other types of bills issued by the United States government.

Beginning in 1975 (Series 1976), two-dollar Federal Reserve Notes were issued, and the treasury seal was changed to green to differentiate from the Legal Tender Notes previously issued. The front of the note remains the same, with the ornate scrolling in the multiple counters located throughout the face of the bill. However, the reverse was changed to the vignette of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Collecting Modern-Day Two Dollar Bills

The two-dollar bill has a short series to collect. A type collection of each small size notes issued since 1928 would consist of one note of each of the following series:

Red Seal

  • 1928 to 1928-G
  • 1953 to 1953-C
  • 1963 to 1963-A

Green Seal

  • 1976
  • 1995
  • 2003 to 2003-A
  • 2009
  • 2013

Since the two-dollar note was never popular with the United States public, it was never widely collected either. Therefore, the printing runs are short compared to other denominations like the one-dollar and five-dollar notes. However, the printing runs ranged between 2 million and 146 million bills. This, by no means, makes them rare or scarce, the exception being small production runs of star notes.

Every time the design or signature changed on a bill, a new series would be issued. Another popular way of collecting two-dollar bills is to obtain one bill from each series and sub-series. For example, in the Series of 1953, there were four sub-series. The 1953 series began with the plain 1953, followed by the 1953-A, 1953-B, and the 1953-C, for a total of four bills in all. The series usually indicates the first year that the design was produced.

Advanced collectors will also want to obtain an example of each series with a star in the serial number. These are almost always extremely small production runs and will carry a premium over and above the regular issue series.

Star Notes

Since all notes issued by the Treasury Department of the United States carry a unique serial number, every note must be accounted for. Beginning in 1910, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing director J. T. Ralph authorized special notes to be printed with a star at the end of the serial number. These notes were to be substituted if a note was misprinted or otherwise defective.

Therefore, these replacement notes are significantly rarer than standard production run notes. Depending upon the series, star notes can be worth a modest premium over non-star notes. However, there are certain series and signature combinations of star notes that are extremely rare and values ranging up to $20,000 for the Series 1928-B with Woods-Mills signatures.

Value of a Red Seal Two Dollar Bill

Although many people are not familiar with the two-dollar bill, and they are unusual, most of them are not extremely rare and do not carry a high value. However, there are a few series whose star notes command a premium. The main determination of value depends upon the series (year and signatures) and if the serial number has a star in it.

Series of 1928 to 1928-G, Red Seal Right Side

SeriesVery FineUncirculated
1928$12$185
1928★$225$1,000
1928-A$60$380
1928-A★$1,500Rare
1928-B$250$1,000
1928-B★$20,000Very Rare
1928-C$30$125
1928-C★$600$3,000
1928-D$15$80
1928-D★$100$400
1928-E$22$150
1928-E★$2,000$12,000
1928-F$15$80
1928-F★$100$500
1928-G$15$80
1928-G★$80$500

Series of 1953 to 1953-C, Red Seal Left Side

SeriesVery FineUncirculated
1953$9$30
1953★$15$90
1953-A$9$20
1953-A★$22$80
1953-B$9$22
1953-B★$18$75
1953-C$9$20
1953-C★$18$90

Series of 1963 to 1963-A, Red Seal Left Side

SeriesVery FineUncirculated
1963$8$20
1963★$12$40
1963-A$9$20
1963-A★$12$90

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Facts and History of the Red Seal Two-Dollar Bill (2024)

FAQs

Facts and History of the Red Seal Two-Dollar Bill? ›

Some older $2 bills have a red treasury seal instead of the standard blue seal. These bills are often mistakenly thought to be rare or valuable, but their color is simply a printing error. The red seal on the $2 bill was likely caused by an excess of ink during the printing process.

How much is a 2.00 bill with a red seal worth? ›

The auction site U.S. Currency Auctions estimates that uncirculated $2 bills from nearly every year up to 1917 are worth at least $1,000. If you've got a $2 bill with a red seal, it can sell for $3 to $2,500.

What is the value of a $2 bill from 1963 with red ink? ›

How much is a 1963 two dollar bill with red ink worth? - Quora. If your bill has been circulated, it's really only worth $2.00. Maybe you can get someone to buy it for $3.00-$4.00, but probably not. If it hasn't been circulated, it will be worth about $8.00-$10.00.

How much is a $2 bill worth from 1953 Red Seal? ›

Typically a 1953 red seal in this condition would be worth $5-10. However due to being a star note, I would value it around $15-25. You probably know this, but star notes were issued to replace bills that were damaged in production.

What is the spiritual meaning of the 2 dollar bill? ›

Beyond its monetary value, the two-dollar bill serves as a symbol of abundance, balance, and spiritual alignment. By contemplating its significance and honouring its presence, we can cultivate a deeper appreciation for the divine wisdom that surrounds us in everyday life.

What is special about a Red Seal $2 bill? ›

These bills are often mistakenly thought to be rare or valuable, but their color is simply a printing error. The red seal on the $2 bill was likely caused by an excess of ink during the printing process. Since the bills were still legal tender, they were distributed anyway and are now part of American currency history.

What $2 bill is worth $20,000? ›

A serial number '1' for a 1976 $2 bill would be worth $20,000 or more. But [for] a majority of those people holding 1976 $2 bills, they are only worth face value. There are very few that actually exceed face value.” Other high-value serial numbers include what collectors call “solid” or “ladders.”

What is a rare $2 bill to look for? ›

An original uncirculated $2 bill from 1862 ranges in value from $500 to more than $2,800. You might get $3,800 or more for an 1869 note. More recently, the USCA lists a value of $500 on certain uncirculated $2 bills from 1995.

What does red ink on money mean? ›

In financial terms, red ink means a debt or negative account balance. It is a term used by people, governments, and businesses. It is generally thought to derive from entries in paper accounting journals and ledgers where black and red ink were used to signify positive and negative account activity.

How much is a 1963 $5 bill with red print worth? ›

Today you can buy a circulated 1963 $5 for around six dollars. Uncirculated 1963 five dollar red seals trade for around $15. 1963 five dollar red seal star notes were also printed. These notes are worth close to $10 in circulated condition.

How much is a 1928 $2 bill with a red seal worth? ›

Series of 1928 to 1928-G, Red Seal Right Side
SeriesVery FineUncirculated
1928-A ★$1,500Rare
1928-B$250$1,000
1928-B ★$20,000Very Rare
1928-C$30$125
12 more rows
Apr 20, 2022

What does a red seal dollar bill mean? ›

"The red seal indicates the redemption of the note. The Red Seal is a "United States Note" as opposed to green seals which indicate they are Federal Reserve Notes, redeemable by the Federal Reserve, basically exchangeable for another federal reserve note.

Is a $5 bill with a red seal worth anything? ›

And some have extra designations – like “EPQ”, which stands for “exceptional paper quality”. If you have a non-star 1963 red seal $5 bill graded 65, it will be worth around $45. If it's a star note at the same grade, that value rises to around $100. And the very finest examples can be worth much more.

Is it good luck to keep a $2 bill? ›

Most people believe that $2 bills bring good luck, but believe it or not, some of the origins of the bill were strongly in favor of the opposite. In this clip, see how and why people considered the $2 bill to be bad luck - which could explain why it was used so infrequently.

What does it mean if someone gives you a two dollar bill? ›

Two Dollar bills💵 are significant in Hoodoo because they represent random abundance, windfalls, proserity, sudden luck, fast luck, sustainability, and so much more.

Why do you never see 2 dollar bills? ›

“The $2 bill has lost its place in everyday usage more than anything else, because … it was left out of the vending machine market. For denominations like the $2 bill or the half dollar coin, because there was no space made in the actual cash registers, they became less popular and less used. …

What $2 bill is worth $4,500? ›

If the $2 bill was minted and printed before 1976, it would likely be worth more than its face value on the collectibles market. In some cases, it might be worth only $2.25. The highest value is $4,500 or more for uncirculated notes from 1890, although most of those bills range from $550 to $2,500.

How do I tell if my $2 bill is worth anything? ›

What is my $2 bill worth? To find the value of your $2 bill, look at the year and seal color. Bills with red, brown and blue seals from 1862 through 1917 can be worth up to $1,000 or more on the U.S. Currency Auctions website, which bases the value on recent and past paper currency auctions.

What are Red Seal notes worth? ›

Even in average condition they are going to be worth about $100 and up retail. If you have a star note from the 1928 series you are around $3,000 and up. depending on the actual condition of the note. Those are retail values not what you would expect to sell them to a dealer for.

What is a 1976 stamped $2 bill worth? ›

What is the value of the 1976 $2 bill today? The bills printed in the year 1976 to 2003 are only worth their face value, which is $2. However, banknotes with errors, unique serial numbers, and misprints are valued higher. The $2 bills can range from $2 to over $500.

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