Feb 15, 2016

What's The Deal With $2 Bills?

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Lots of good trivia buried in this Marketplace article. Having gone to a university founded by Thomas Jefferson, there were always lots of these bills floating around Charlottesville, Virginia.

Now, back to trivia on the $2 bill that will impress your friends:

  • First printed: 1862
  • For ten years after 1966, no $2 bills were printed
  • Considered a collector’s item during the bicentennial celebration in 1976
  • Costs a nickel to make a $1 or $2 bill
  • 4 billion $1 bills printed every year
  • 1.2 billion $2 bills currently in circulation today vs. $1.2 TRILLION of coins and bills
  • Lifespan of $1 bill: about 18 months; for a $2 bill: 6 years
  • Most banks carry the $2 bill; ask at the teller window
  • Federal Reserve has a machine that can test bills for fitness (saw one of these in operation at the SF Fed recently)

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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