Do you have a two-dollar bill from 1976 and are curious about its value?
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Two-dollar bills are not very popular among Americans. This particular currency has a controversial history, and people have shied away from it for years; we will look at this in a bit.
Because people do not use the $2 Federal Reserve Bank note often, there is a belief that this bill is scarce and valuable. But is this assumption true?
Well, your 1976 $2 bill may be worth more than face value if it is a rare variety or if it is one of the few error bank notes. Read on to discover everything you need to know about the 1976 $2 bill value.
1976 $2 Bill Value Chart | ||
| Bill type | Circulated | Uncirculated |
| 1976 $2 Bill With Green Seal | $2 | $5 to $15 |
1976 $2 Bill Specifications
- Category: Thomas Jefferson
- Mint: Washington, DC
- Mintage: 590,720,000
- Obverse designer: N/A
- Reverse designer: John Trumbull
- Composition: 75% cotton, 25% linen
- Fineness: N/A
- Weight: 1g
- AWS: N/A
The Obverse of the 1976 $2 Bill
The obverse of the 1976 2-dollar bank note features several notable elements. At the center is the portrait of the third president of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson.
On the note’s bottom left field is a serial number corresponding to the serial number on the upper right field.
The serial number begins with a letter followed by eight numbers and a final letter at the end. The numbers represent the place of printing and the year the denomination was printed.
The letters that make up the serial numbers are usually between A and L and represent any of the twelve Federal Reserve banks that printed the bill. The letters O and Z are never included in the banknote serial numbers.
Some 1976 $2 bills feature a star instead of the last letter in the serial number. The star means that the bill is a replacement for an improperly minted note.
Another feature appearing on the obverse is the Federal Reserve Bank seal, printed on the left field. The seal features the name of the distributing bank, and the letters work as an abbreviation for the bank. On the right side is the green treasury seal.
Like other bank notes, the 1976 2-dollar note has two signatures on the obverse. For this year, William Simon, Treasury Secretary, and Treasurer Francine Irving Neff’s signatures appear on the note.
The year of minting is printed as ”series 1976” and appears on the right field. The words THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TWO DOLLARS appear prominently at the bottom of the note.
The Reverse of the 1976 $2 Dollar Bill
When the two-dollar bill was reintroduced in 1976 after a 10-year hiatus, no longer featured the Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s sprawling mansion.
Instead of the usual mansion, the new 1976 $2 bill featured John Trumbull’s famous portrait of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The original painting had forty-seven men, but you can only see 42 men because of the size of the note.
The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA are printed at the top. At the bottom of the note is the motto: IN GOD WE TRUST, underlined by the statement DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, 1776.
The note’s denomination is printed in words and numbers.
The video below will help you learn more about how to identify a 1976 two-dollar bill worth money.
1976 $2 Bill Value and Varieties Guides
The United States Mint released the 1976 $2 bill after a decade-long hiatus. The 1976 re-introduction of the bill coincided with the United States Bicentennial celebration. Collectors assumed this would be a special, one-off issue and hoarded many of these notes, removing a large chunk of the currency from circulation.
As part of the collector’s hoarding rush, some had their two dollar notes stamped at the post office with the date APR 13, 1976, thinking the note would be a rare issue. However, the Mint continued to print the 1976 two-dollar bill for many more years.
Of course, the Mint no longer prints the 1976 $2 bill; the series was only printed between 1976 and 1978, totaling 590,720,000 notes.
That said, there are still 1976 two dollar notes in circulation. Contrary to popular belief, the 1976 $2 bill value is low.
In circulated condition, your 1976 2-dollar note is worth its face value. In other words, you’d get only two dollars if you wanted to sell your $2 bill. In an uncirculated condition, you could sell your bill for at least $15.
1976 $2 Bill Grading
Check out the video below to learn how to grade your paper currency, including your two-dollar bills from 1976.
With the right information, you’ll be in a better place to determine whether your banknotes are worth more than face value.
1976 $2 Bill Error Lists
Generally, $2 bills are not rare, and the Mint still prints these banknotes today. The assumption that the $2 bill is rare is perpetuated by the fact that the bill is simply not widely used in day-to-day transactions.
That said, some two-dollar bills are rare and worth more than face value. These bills usually have an error or a unique feature that makes them stand out and desirable to collectors.
The 1976 $2 has one known error, which we will look at briefly. But, there are also a variety of unique errors from this year that can increase the value of your 1976 two dollar note.
1976 $2 Bill Double Serial Number Error
The double serial number is the most notable error in the 1976 series. This printing error resulted in the bill having two different serial numbers on the bill’s obverse page.
Normally, the serial number on the bottom left, and the one at the top right fields are similar. But with the double serial number error, the two serial numbers are different.
If you have a circulated 1976 $2 bill in good condition with a double serial number, you can sell it for about $400 or slightly more. In an uncirculated condition, such an error bill can fetch between $700 and $900.
The double serial number error is not the only $2 bill from 1976 worth good money. Here are other varieties that can fetch you a handsome amount:
1976 $2 Stamped Bills
When the Federal Reserve Bank reissued the two-dollar bill in 1976 during the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations, collectors thought this would be a unique, one-off issue.
The bank issued the new $2 bill on April 1, and as a way to certify that they had received the initial issues of the 1976 2-dollar series, people took their bills to the local post office and got them stamped with the 1976 date.
Stamped bills have nothing extraordinarily special about them, only that they come with a small stamp on the face. In good condition, a 1976 $2 bill with a stamp generally costs more than one that is not stamped.
1976 $2 Star Notes
Another peculiar variety of the 1976 two-dollar bill is the star note. Some two-dollar bills from 1976 come with a star on the serial number instead of the usual letter.
Keep in mind that serial letters on banknotes typically start with an alphabetical letter, followed by eight digits and a letter at the end.
In star notes, the last letter on the serial number is replaced by a star. The star signifies that the particular bill replaces a previous, misprinted bill.
What’s more, star notes printed in Kansas City or Minneapolis, as shown on the note by a bold alphabetical initial, are high value and can fetch you good money.
In a normal circulated condition, a 1976 two-dollar star note costs approximately $8. In higher, uncirculated grades, your note can fetch as much as $160, mostly depending on the note’s condition.
1976 $2 Palindromes and Ladders
Palindromes are words or numbers that read the same way, backward or forward. Some very rare $2 bills from 1976 feature serial numbers that are also palindromes. Because these bills are so rare, they can be quite pricey, fetching as much as $95.
The ladder is the rarest variety of the 1976 two-dollar series. A ladder occurs when the two serial numbers on the obverse appear in a sequence, such as 12345678. Of course, these numbers would be bracketed by two alphabetical values.
This variety is so unique that only one out of every 96 million notes has the ladder variety. If you have a two-dollar bill with a ladder variety, you could sell it for a premium.
On the other hand, reverse ladder sequences on the serial number are less desirable and are, therefore, less valuable. This variety is also known as a broken ladder and may include sequences such as 87654321, or zeros may further break the sequences, for example, 870654001
1976 $2 Bill FAQ
Are there any 1976 $2 bills that are rare?
Contrary to popular belief, two-dollar bills, including the ones printed in 1976, are common. That year, the Mint produced more than 500 million $2 bankrolls. That said, there are some unique errors and varieties, and these can increase your bill’s value.
For example, a rare note is a double serial number error in which the two serial numbers on the obverse are different when they are usually similar.
The double serial number is, in fact, the only error in the 1976 series and is, therefore, quite pricey, with collectors asking for as much as $500 to $900.
The other rare and pricey two-dollar bill from 1976 is the ladder variety in which the serial numbers follow each other perfectly one after the other. A$2 ladder is worth several hundred dollars.
Is the 1976 $2 worth any money?
A 1976 two dollar banknote is worth face value; if you sell your note, the most you’d get is $2 for a circulated bill in good condition. An uncirculated bill may be worth $5 to $10. All in all, your 1976 $2 is worth little more than face value unless you are lucky enough to have one of the rare varieties such as palindromes and ladders.
Which serial numbers from a 1976 $2 bill are valuable?
Some rare serial numbers can boost the numismatic value of your 1976 two-dollar bill. For starters, ladder serial numbers such as 12345678 or repeat serial numbers such as A33333333A are attractive to collectors and can sell for a premium.
Another unique and valuable serial number sequence is the palindrome, in which the number reads the same forward and backward.
Lastly, the two-dollar serial numbers with a star signifying replacement notes are highly sought after and can increase the value of your bills. Although rare, the star notes can bring in some good money when sold in the numismatic marketplace.
