The 1976 Bicentennial $2 Bill

Why is the 1976 $2 so common?

Treasury Secretary William E. Simon announced the return of the $2 in November 1975 as a way to save on printing costs and production started that December. The notes went out through banks on April 13, 1976, Thomas Jefferson's birthday, in the middle of the national Bicentennial. Lots of people picked up a few as souvenirs, then put them away.

The BEP printed over half a billion Series 1976 notes before the run ended in 1978. With that many made and so many saved in good condition, even an uncirculated 1976 note is easy to find. That's why the ordinary note is a face value item.

Federal Reserve districts on the 1976 $2 (letter in the black seal and at the start of the serial)

How do I read the seals and numbers?

The green seal on the right is the Treasury seal. The black seal on the left names the Federal Reserve Bank that ordered the note, with a letter in the center. The same letter starts the serial number and the matching number from 1 to 12 appears in four places around the face. The table shows what each letter means.

The signatures are Francine I. Neff on the left as Treasurer and William E. Simon on the right as Secretary. Every Series 1976 $2 carries this pair. There are no series letters for the 1976 $2.

What's on the back?

The back shows an engraved adaptation of John Trumbull's painting of the committee presenting the draft Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress. The large version of the painting hangs in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. The bill's version isn't an exact copy; the scene was trimmed and adjusted to fit the note. Jefferson appears in the scene, so the 1976 $2 shows him on both sides.

This back replaced Monticello and is still used on the $2 today.

Are first day stamped 1976 $2 bills worth anything?

A little. On April 13, 1976, many people took their new $2 notes to a post office, stuck a stamp on the front and asked the clerk to cancel it with that day's postmark. These first day notes are genuine and collectors do collect them, but enough were made that most bring only a small premium over face value.

A few things lift them. The postmark should clearly read APR 13 1976. A note stamped in a small or oddly named town, or in a place with a Bicentennial link, draws more interest. A crisp note with a neat cancel beats a folded note with a smeared one. Notes postmarked on later dates are souvenirs rather than first day items. Don't try to peel the stamp off; it damages the note and removes what made it interesting.

How do I spot a 1976 star note?

Look at the end of the serial number. On Federal Reserve notes, a star replaces the final letter. Star notes were printed for the districts, but in much smaller numbers than regular notes. The Kansas City (J) star is generally considered the scarcest of the twelve and Minneapolis (I) stars are also hard to find. A circulated star from a common district is a small premium note. A crisp star from a scarce district can be considerably more.

Which serial numbers should I look for?

Because so many 1976 notes were saved in packs straight from the bank, you'll sometimes find consecutive runs. Check every one. Collectors want low serials such as 00000100 or below, solid numbers where all eight digits match, ladders like 12345678 or 87654321, radars that read the same both ways and repeaters such as 45454545. Any of these can push an otherwise common note into the collector premium band.

What should I do with my 1976 $2?

If it's folded and ordinary, spend it, give it to a kid or keep it in your wallet for luck. It's worth two dollars wherever you are. If it's crisp, keep it flat. If it's a star, has a fancy serial or has a clean first day postmark, show it to a paper money dealer or look up recent sales of the exact same district and condition. And skip the colorized or gold-plated 1976 $2s sold as collectibles. They're altered notes with no premium.

Frequently asked questions