Hold onto your $2 bill; you might not have many left to collect soon.
As we near America’s 250th anniversary next month, the U.S. Mint is preparing to unveil a special coin. Interestingly, this quincentenary also means that printing of the $2 bill is being paused.
According to a Federal Reserve order, this year’s printing of $2 bills has been quite limited, with some reports indicating numbers as low as zero. Currently, there are about 1.8 billion $2 bills in circulation, which is the highest since the last two decades.
In contrast, there are around 2.4 billion $10 bills and 3.7 billion $5 bills in circulation, indicating that there isn’t much demand to print more $2 bills.
The $2 bill was reintroduced after a decade-long hiatus from 1966 to 1976 to celebrate the nation’s Bicentennial. At that time, people began to collect paper currency rather than spend it, leading to less wear and, consequently, fewer needs for replacements.
In 2025, the bureau printed between 307.2 million and 416 million new $2 bills, which actually overshot the economic demand for paper currency. Although each bill costs a mere 0.2 cents to produce, the declining use of cash makes printing these notes seem unnecessary.
Despite having been printed consistently for 160 years, the $2 bill faced a decade of no prints in the previous century. Yet, skepticism surrounds its usage, as some people are reluctant to spend them in transactions.
“Half of the people I tip seem excited to get a $2 bill, regardless of how good the tip is, but the other half think it’s fake,” a user shared on Reddit. Another chimed in, mentioning that they’d need to explain to retail colleagues that the $2 bill is indeed legal tender in the U.S.
Interestingly, some Gen Z customers, not familiar with these bills, have even been accused of trying to pass off counterfeit currency when paying with $2 bills.
Since 2013, the commission has issued zero-printing orders for $2 bills in 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, and just this year, primarily based on the circulation reports.
While there won’t be a new collectible 250th edition $2 bill, the U.S. Mint is set to launch special circulation coins featuring designs from 1776 to 2026. Although new pennies won’t be part of this, fresh designs for dimes, quarters, and 50-cent coins are on the way.
The Treasury Department is even contemplating the release of a $250 bill, which would feature President Trump’s face and signature in honor of the 250th anniversary.
Meanwhile, U.S. Currency Auctions continues to track prices for vintage $2 bills, hinting that some could be worth considerably more than their face value. As of 2023, the average circulating note ranges from $2 to $2,500, while uncirculated ones could fetch between $2 and $4,500.
USCA is regularly updating the average price of $2 bills based on auction results and retail selling prices.
