Tom's Favorite Things : $2 Bills
Just a small, impromptu family event.
Growing up, I was fortunate to be surrounded by a tight-knit Greek family. I have so many incredible memories from my formidable years of good times with my relatives.
One of the more colorful characters in my life was my Aunt Mary. She was a collector of trinkets, a lover of old music, and one of Hallmark cards’ most loyal customers. She would send us cards for every holiday. If there was a holiday, we’d get a card.
Aunt Mary passed away a few years ago, and we have worked to keep her memory alive in many ways, but one gift she gave me I keep with me always.
The legendary $2 bill.
Aunt Mary would add a few of these crisp bills to my Halloween Card, or slip me one at a family dinner. The first few times she gave me a $2 bill, I thought it was fake. Having never seen one before, I thought it another one of her comic bits. She explained that they are good luck and should be passed along to bring joy into the world.
I enjoyed and appreciated that outlook, but it wasn’t until I was having a random conversation at my bank that my relationship with the $2 bill would change forever.
Aunt Mary had recently passed away, and I was feeling a bit down that I wouldn’t see those $2 bills anymore.
The branch manager heard this and told me that they could order fresh bills directly from the treasury. What music to my ears!
Ever since that day, I’ve always been sure to keep a few $2 bills in my wallet and use them for added tips or a conversation piece. It’s an easy way to delight and intrigue a child, to strike up a conversation with a bartender or to show someone you care.
A little more background on the $2 bill?
The $2 bill is America's rarest small denomination in the US Currency. The unique history of the $2 bill has given the note an air of mystery and legend. If you have a $2 bill in your wallet, it is always an instant conversation starter at parties and events where tipping is appropriate.
In June 1776, the Continental Congress authorized the issue of two-dollar bills of credit for the defense of the America. Only 49,000 bills were issued at that time. The two-dollar bill was first commissioned in March 1862. The two-dollar denomination was discontinued from 1966 until 1976 when use of the two-dollar bill was resumed as part of the United States bicentennial celebration.
Low printing numbers starting in the 1950s resulted in the $2 bill becoming the rarest current denomination of US Currency. This rarity caused people to hoard any $2 bills they come across and as a result this decreased the circulation of the $2 bill even more. Today the $2 bill constitute around 1% of all notes in US circulation.
Today the $2 bill is growing in popularity. In 2005 alone, 61 million $2 bills were printed. This is more than twice the number of $2 bills that were printed annually between 1990 and 2001. One reason for the increased popularity is the $2 bill is becoming more frequently used as change where tipping is encouraged. The $2 bill is also seen as a unique way to give a gift of money.