The Mistrusted Two Dollar Bill on This Day in History

This Day in History: The United States Treasury Department reintroduced the two-dollar bill on this day (April 13) in 1976 as a Federal Reserve Note on Thomas Jefferson's 233rd birthday as part of the United States Bicentennial celebration.

Two dollar bills never caught on as many people think they are fake. They also don't circulate well because people horde them as collectibles.

The two dollar bill was nicknamed the “Tom” because they feature Thomas Jefferson’s portrait on the face. The "Tom" also has an interesting history:

"An urban legend claims that at one time, election rigging was common and the reward for a favorable vote was $2. There was a belief that politicians would purchase votes for $2 therefore, having a $2 bill could be seen as evidence that you had sold your vote. While most likely an urban legend, the myth still gave the bill a sinister reputation.

In the early 1920s, Prostitution was $2.00 a trick, leading some to refer to the bill as a 'whore note.'

The gambling tracks have a $2.00 window, and if you won, many times you were paid in $2.00 bills. If you were caught with $2’s in your wallet it could lead people to assume you were a gambler.

The $2 bill was often thought to be bad luck, as 'deuce' was a name for the devil. Recipients would tear off one corner, believing it would negate the bad luck of the bill. This caused many of the bills to be taken out of circulation as mutilated currency." Source

The relative scarcity of the $2 bill in everyday circulation has led to confusion at points of sale, as well as overreaction by merchants and even attempted prosecution of the individual trying to tender the bill.

In 2005, a man in Baltimore, Maryland, was jailed for attempting to use $2 bills that the store and local police incorrectly thought were counterfeit because of smeared ink on some of the bills.

In 2016, a 13-year-old girl in Texas was detained by police for attempting to use a $2 bill to pay for lunch in her school's cafeteria.

The two dollar bill is also popular among 2nd Amendment advocates.

Buy Two Dollar Bills on Ebay at Cost