of Troy wrote : we have a two dollar bill-- but that is rare too-- one good reason to make a visit to one of the US Mints it to get a $2 bill. They are great presents for kids-- cheap souviners of US. My neice in Japan loved her $2 bill!
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It's extremely rare to see a $2 bill in circulation these days. I cannot remember getting one in change for a larger bill for the past 40 years!
They were used a lot at racetracks for $2 bets! So having a lot of $2 bills sort of gave a lie to excuses to the Boss that you were at Grandmother's funeral!
When I was MUCH younger they were fairly common but presented the problem of being confused with the $1 ... The $2 is easy to confuse with a $1 as they look alike except for the number. Led to a lot of "short changing" i.e. getting no or less returned money than you should when a purchase made.
So, the $2 gained a reputation for being unlucky.
In the 1940s and 1950s you often got a $2 with the upper left corner torn supposedly to counteract the bad luck ... but in a practical way it drew your attention to the number in the corner so you were less likely to mistake the $2 for a $1. Whew!
The $2 would make a neat souvenir but I don't know where you'd get it except at the Mint ... For gifts I have often brought foreign coins home as souvenirs and bought the coin holders that encirle the coin without damaging it and that has a loop at the top ... available from jewelers ... so that the coin could be put on a chain and worn as a necklace. The new $1 golden eagle coins make nice presents for children.
I never confused the 50-pence coin when in UK because it had corners -- don't know how else to describe it -- and cannot fathom the reason the US hasn't adopted a similar shape. Sure would make the $1 US coin easy to distinguish from the US 50-cent piece which is nearly the same size.
Oh, for the non-USA coin collectors out there, the US Mint is currently making coins commemorating all the States's entry into the Union. Featuring the state seal on each coin. Legal tender. The Northeastern states, being first in the Union are now available. The 50 coins will be made in batches and the entire 50 state set available in, I believe 2005. The US Mint has a web site and you can order online and get news via Email.
wow