“Is More false than a two-dollar bill”, is a phrase that is said in many countries. But many people, including American citizens, are unaware that the two-dollar bill exists and is not a newly invented currency or a forgotten bill from the past.
The two-dollar bill has been printed numerous times over the years, and campaigns have been launched to encourage people to use them, but it has never been to the delight of the public.
Many people are skeptical of the bill or believe it is a hoax; however, there are several black legends surrounding the infamous two-dollar bill that will surprise you.
In this article, we will see everything related to the 1963 Two Dollar Bill, from its value to its historical importance.
1963 Two Dollar Bill Details
- Nominal value: $ 2
- Type: Legal Cold Note
- Producer: The US Engraving and Printing Office.
- Obverse: US president, Thomas Jefferson
- Reverse: House of Thomas Jefferson, Monticello
- Material: 75% cotton and 25% linen material
- Serie: Two (1963 and 1963 a)
- Height: 2,60937 inches (66.28 mm)
- Width: 6,14062 inches (156 mm)
- Weight: 0.03527 ounces (1 g)
- Seal variety: red
- Shape: Rectangular shape
- Security features: Standard printing and safety fibers
The two-dollar bill can be used to pay any type of debt in the United States, from services to loans.
This bill was printed several times over the years, but if we are talking about the 1963 two-dollar bill, you should know that it has an image of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, on the obverse and the reverse has The Monticello house, which Jefferson inherited from his parents at the age of 26.
The reverse has undergone several changes over time, but the image of Thomas Jefferson, the president in charge of writing the Declaration of Independence, has survived to the present day.
When they were first registered in 1929, they had very large sizes, and businesses or banks did not like to accept payments with them because they did not fit in the cash register boxes where the bills are stored.
The 1963 two-dollar bill has the same standard measurement as current bills of various denominations. However, very few people are aware of their existence.
This is because the two-dollar bill accounts for only 0.001% of all bills in circulation today. This contributed to several legends surrounding the bill, and many people believe it is false or no longer valid.
As a result, many bills are removed from circulation and become valuable collectibles for collectors, but this is not the case. If there are collectors interested in the bill, it is not as valuable or unusual as most people believe.
Obverse
The obverse of the two-dollar bill illustrates the protagonist of the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, who is best known for writing the Declaration of Independence.
It has the number 2 and the words “Two Dollars” in each of the four corners. They are located next to number 2 in the upper corners, and above number 2 in the lower corners.
The number 2 is repeated as a watermark on the left side of the bill, and the word Two is also repeated as a watermark on the right side.
The serial number appears twice, once in the lower left and once in the upper right. It also bears the signatures of Treasury Secretary Clarence Douglas Dillon and Treasurer Kathryn Elizabeth Granahan.
Bill must be re-broadcast with the corresponding signatures whenever one of these charges in the government changes. As a result, there are two types of bills in 1963. The second bill named 1963 A, bears the signatures of Treasury Secretary Henry Hammill Fowler, but the treasurer remains the same as in the previous bill.
Finally, the words “United States of America” and “two dollars” are printed in the center of the bill. The image of Jefferson bears his name very discreetly under the portrait, the work of the artist Charles Bert.
Reverse
The reverse of the bill has as its main image the Monticello house, which belonged to President Jefferson that was previously used for the back of Jefferson Nickel.
The 1963 bill is distinguished from others because it has the phrase “In God We Trust” just below the United States of America.
The words “Two Dollars” are repeated four times at the four ends of the bill. It also carries the number 2 on the left and right side of the ticket, as well as the word “TWO” above the number 2 and at the lower ends of the bill.
Finally, it has the word “Monticello” discreetly under the illustration that was created by the artist Joachim C. Benzing.
1963 Two Dollar Bill Value Chart
| Series | Bills in uncirculated condition | Bills in circulated condition | Bills with a star |
| 1963 with a red seal (by the Spruce crafts) | $20 | $8 to $9 | $12 to $40 |
| 1963 A with a red seal (by the Spruce crafts) | $20 | $9 | $9 to $90 |
| 1963 with a red seal (old money prices) | $20 | $5 | — |
| 1963 with a red seal (Artifact collectors) | $27 to $28 | $2 to $5 | — |
1963 Two Dollar Bill Value and Varieties Guides
There are two types of bills printed in 1963. The first bears the bill’s name and the year of printing, while the second bears only the letter “A” at the end.
What’s the distinction between these two bills? Well, the secretary of the Treasury’s signature. The bill must be changed whenever the position of Secretary of the Treasury or Treasurer is changed.
Because the secretary of the Treasury was changed in office in the case of the two-dollar bill printed in 1963, a distinction is made between these two types of bills.
All other elements, however, are the same. The 1963 bills carry a red stamp indicating that they were issued by the federal government of the United States.
There are various types of stamps, and each color represents a different meaning. The red stamp represents US bills, while the green stamp represents Federal Reserve bills. National bank and federal reserve bills are represented by the brown stamps. Silver certificates have blue seals, while gold certificates have orange seals.
Serial Numbers
Because large numbers of two-dollar bills were never printed, there was no large margin of error in production, serial numbers are very important when evaluating the cost of two-dollar bills.
As a result, all bills come out without features that collectors value because those details determine whether the bill costs more or less.
In consequence, collectors began to notice the serial number of the bills over time and began to charge higher interest rates for rare serial numbers.
Two letters and eight digits make up a serial number. The first letter is assigned to identify which Federal Reserve Bank produced it. The letters must be from A to L. With the exception of the letters O and Z, you can choose any letter in the alphabet for the second letter.
The letter “O” is omitted because it can be confused with the number 0, and the letter Z is reserved for test bills that are never released and don’t have an official value.
When there is a printing error, the bill must be reprinted; however, by law, two bills with the same serial number cannot exist, so instead of a letter, it is replaced by the symbol of a star.
As you might expect, bills with a star are quite rare, so they command a higher price on the open collectors’ market.
Other collectors have specific preferences, such as getting the number 1 or bills with low numbers. High signals, as well as specific number combinations, are equally valuable. Collectors are particularly interested in serials that form a numerical ladder, a historical date, or binary numbers.
1963 Two Dollar Bill History
1862, when the United States issued its first legal tender bill. Alexander Hamilton appeared on the first printed bill. It wasn’t until 1869 that it was replaced with a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, which was still in use in 1963 and is still in use today.
The back of the bill has undergone several changes over time, but the Monticello house is the focal point in the 1963 design. This image had previously been used on 10-cent coins, but due to limitations at the time of coin minting, they were forced to design a very poor illustration of this famous plantation belonging to the third president of the United States.
The bad luck bill
It is interesting how the history of this bill has been marked by superstition, which has resulted in the bill not being accepted and integrated into people’s daily lives.
The bill was initially rejected because it did not have a standard size; they were large bills with numerous ornaments and figures. Banks and commercial establishments disliked accepting payments with this bill because it did not fit into the spaces designed for standard bills.
Despite the fact that the bill’s size was reduced, there were other factors that contributed to its unpopularity. It was considered bad luck at the turn of the twentieth century to have or be paid with a two-dollar bill.
The bill received the pseudonym of “Dirty Tom”, also known as Deuce, which is a devil’s nickname. As a result, many people tore the number 2 from the corner of the bill, gradually removing it from circulation as mutilated currency.
It is also said that when parties wanted to promote electoral fraud, they bought votes with two-dollar bills, so no one wanted to have these bills or be accused of selling their vote to corrupt politicians.
However, this was not the only negative publicity the bill received. If you wanted to hire a prostitute, you usually had to pay two dollars, so the bill was also associated with prostitution at the time.
The two-dollar bill presented a significant challenge. The betting houses generally did not accept it because they believed it was false, and if you managed to pay with that currency, the casinos and horse races tried to get rid of those two dollars as soon as possible.
The bill was related to gambling, prostitutes, electoral fraud, and the devil. As a result, the bill gradually fell out of circulation.
It is currently legal to pay with a two-dollar bill, but most people are unaware of its existence and are unlikely to accept it, not because of superstition or stigmatization from the past, but because they believe it is a fake currency.
1963 Two Dollar Bill Grading
The value of the two-dollar bills will be determined by the degree of conservation in which they are discovered, as well as by minor details such as the serial number. To help you understand what to look for in bills and their value, we’ve included a video that explains everything in great detail.
1963 Two Dollar Bill Errors
Because of the low production of these banknotes, printing errors are rarely discovered. You can, however, look for bills with duplicate or misplaced stamps.
Another critical consideration is the serial number of the tickets. Collectors have discovered a way to revalue these bills by using serial numbers with symbolic dates or unusual number combinations. For more information, we’ve included a video with the elements to look for when adding value to your two-dollar bill.
1963 Two Dollar Bill FAQ
Which $2 bill from 1963 is the most valuable?
On the collector’s market, two-dollar bills are not particularly valuable. They may be bills that you do not see every day, but they are easily obtained at the bank for $20.
There are copies with a star symbol in the serial number, which makes them more valuable and raises the price from $40 to $100.
Is it lucky to have a $2 bill?
According to popular belief, the two-dollar bill is a cursed coin. It was once thought to be bad luck, so to avoid it, people would tear the number 2 from one of the bill’s corners. It also was associated with gambling, electoral fraud, and prostitution.
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