Why don't $2 bills circulate?

dac076 · August 18, 2008 1:46AM

We've all heard the arguments for and against dollar coins. But what about $2 bills? Canada used them successfully, and now they have been replaced by a $2 coin. The only place I've ever gotten a two in change in the U.S. is from a coin dealer. I don't see how we could ever expect to substitute a $1 coin for the $1 FRN, if the public even rejects the $2 FRN. Or is it a supply issue?

ricko · August 18, 2008 1:47AM

I have seen them frequently... not nearly as frequently as the one dollar bill... I think some people still save them. I received one in change just last week at the grocery store... I think they just wanted it out of their cash drawer....

Cheers, RickO

fc · August 18, 2008 1:50AM

cash drawers do not support them.. thus business do not get them.
also consider the average walmart cash person... they can barely make
change... why confuse them even more with two dollar bills.

sorry to talk like this but that is exactly how business owners think in my
opinion. KISS. keep it simple stupid.

automate as much as possible. don't allow others to think because that leads
to mistakes.

500Bay · August 18, 2008 1:53AM

A pet store near my home gives them out as change, with their store stamp on the bill. It gets peoples attention.

mrpaseo · August 18, 2008 2:10AM

Two simple reasons and I have encountered both:

1) When some people see them, they say, "That's not real" and will not accept it.

2) When some people see them, they think it is rare and they buy them out of the draw and bring them home and put them in the sock draw.

I remember when I brought some Sacs to McD's I handed them to the lady and she bellows, "I got some of those golden dollars" and the other workers came over exclaiming that they wanted some. Obviously they thought they were rare....

Just my 2 pfenning,
Ray

saintguru · August 18, 2008 2:31AM

I have been using them in abundance for 15 years. I get packs of 100 unc. $2s from the bank. Great for tips. People always remember you.

One year around 1992 3 of us went to Cozumel. We all brought a few hundred @s and used them everywhere....by the end of the week we got TWO back in change.

I think they're great and I support a $3 bill as well.

bstat1020 · August 18, 2008 2:35AM

A fine establishment in Austin, Texas gives them as change when you pay the cover charge to get in. Then you can use them as tips for the entertainment!

Rampage · August 18, 2008 2:41AM

I get them form the bank regularly and spend them regularly.

DwaineO · August 18, 2008 2:45AM

Can you even get these at the bank? I think the primary reason is that cash register's are not built to handle them just they like are not built to handle the dollar coins. If they made them with extra slots then retail might start accepting them but I doubt it.

I used a one dollar coin at Wendy's yesterday and the cashier stood there looking at it like what am I suppose to do with this and what is it.

BECOKA · August 18, 2008 2:48AM

I only got them from my grandparents as a kid. Otherwise I have never gotten one from circulation.

U.S. also stopped making them a long time ago as far as I remember.

julie43 · August 18, 2008 2:51AM

<< I have been using them in abundance for 15 years. I get packs of 100 unc. $2s from the bank. Great for tips. People always remember you.

One year around 1992 3 of us went to Cozumel. We all brought a few hundred @s and used them everywhere....by the end of the week we got TWO back in change.

I think they're great and I support a $3 bill as well. >>

Great Idea!!! and I think we do need a three dollar bill!!

Snowman24 · August 18, 2008 3:02AM

for those curious the last time 2's were printed was back in Sept of 2006

Link

Snowman

sumnom · August 18, 2008 3:08AM

I have gotten 2s in change now and again but a few years have passed since the last time. I think I may go to the bank today and see if I can get any.

stockwiz · August 18, 2008 3:24AM

redundancy.. they are simply not needed and there's no slot on the change drawer for them. I like their novelty value though.

Tootawl · August 18, 2008 3:24AM

<< I only got them from my grandparents as a kid. Otherwise I have never gotten one from circulation.

U.S. also stopped making them a long time ago as far as I remember. >>

The BEP still makes $2 bills. The BEP has made them in the 1976 Series, 1995 Series, and 2003 Series.

mbogoman · August 18, 2008 4:12AM

It is as simple as it is obvious - replace the one dollar bill with a coin. That will free up the slot in the cash drawer for twos...

500Bay · August 18, 2008 4:32AM

<< It is as simple as it is obvious - replace the one dollar bill with a coin. That will free up the slot in the cash drawer for twos... >>

That is what Canada did. Until they stopped making the two dollar bill also...

57loaded · August 18, 2008 4:41AM

<< Can you even get these at the bank? I think the primary reason is that cash register's are not built to handle them just they like are not built to handle the dollar coins. If they made them with extra slots then retail might start accepting them but I doubt it.

I used a one dollar coin at Wendy's yesterday and the cashier stood there looking at it like what am I suppose to do with this and what is it. >>

i used a clad Kennedy at Hollywood video and got the same blank stare......

i had thought they stopped minting these $2 bills a decade ago.

AlixTCat · August 18, 2008 5:18AM

<< cash drawers do not support them.. thus business do not get them.
also consider the average walmart cash person... they can barely make
change... why confuse them even more with two dollar bills.

sorry to talk like this but that is exactly how business owners think in my
opinion. KISS. keep it simple stupid.

automate as much as possible. don't allow others to think because that leads
to mistakes. >>

I don't anymore, I have a desk job, but I used to be a cashier. I've worked at convenience stores and grocery stores and a knic-knac store. All the registers had 5 slots for bills and 5 compartments for change. Thus, a $2 bill could easily be stored as well as a dollar coin. All the places I worked used those 5th drawers and compartments either for checks or for paper clips. $50's and $100's all automatically were fed into the timelock safes at the various locations.

So, there is a space for both the dollar coin and the $2 bill in at least some registers.

Jonathan

WinPitcher · August 18, 2008 5:25AM

Yup or the 50.00 and 100.00 would go under the drawer.

Steve

bdunndchi · August 18, 2008 5:30AM

I never come across them. I can't remember the last time I did.

sumnom · August 18, 2008 6:48AM

<< 

<< I only got them from my grandparents as a kid. Otherwise I have never gotten one from circulation.

U.S. also stopped making them a long time ago as far as I remember. >>

The BEP still makes $2 bills. The BEP has made them in the 1976 Series, 1995 Series, and 2003 Series. >>

And 2006!

sumnom · August 18, 2008 6:50AM

I went to the bank to get some today. They had 13 of them. I got them all and have been spending them here and there today. So far no one has given me any trouble. Most people don't bat an eye. Others look quite pleased.

SaorAlba · August 18, 2008 7:05AM

I hoard them at the banks, right now I have about $102 worth of them in my pocket. I pay for everything with them, even stuff over $20. I like the comments on them etc. One of my banks is my main supplier and they hold them for me, and a few others doing the same exact thing I am. So they circulate. And some of the comments I have heard here locally from cashiers in stores are that they are seeing more and more of them lately, which could explain why production of them ramped up a bit and went into the 2003-A series.

57loaded · August 18, 2008 7:45AM

they'd need to start seeing them every day to move the rubber bands, paper clips, lighter, cigarettes, gum, nail clippers, pens and pencils and scrunched notepads, coupons. etc....they were used to store extra rolls of coins, too.

if i remember right there were seven slots and seven trays, $50 and $100 went into the "reno" boxes and coupons and checks went under the tray, so plenty of room for it all

ProofArtworkonCircs · August 18, 2008 4:07PM

In the old days, $2 bills did not circulate in Western Canada although they were very popular in the East. I think circulation picked up in the West after the Loonie came in and before the twonie.

In the USA at WW I times, $2 were already out of fashion but they were most common in the North East and scarcest in the south west.
When I started cashiering in 1953 in Bangor, Maine, there was a slot reserved for $2 bills. There weren't too many there. It was a catchall for coupons and a copy of the register pickup sheet. I started putting twenties there. Pretty soon the whole store was putting twenties between the ones and fives. Other stores in the chain ignored the twos and placed fives next to the ones. It was a disaster when a new cashier transferred in.

storm888 · August 18, 2008 4:16PM

I have lots of them, BUT they are considered unlucky to carry in purse, pocket, wallet.

Many older people feel insulted when they are given a $2.

Bad Luck

Gemini · August 18, 2008 8:01PM

I have a pack of these that they won't accept either.

goldmine266 · August 18, 2008 9:33PM

<< A pet store near my home gives them out as change, with their store stamp on the bill. It gets peoples attention. >>

Not a good idea if they want to get locked up for defacing money

SaorAlba · August 18, 2008 9:45PM

<< 

<< A pet store near my home gives them out as change, with their store stamp on the bill. It gets peoples attention. >>

Not a good idea if they want to get locked up for defacing money >>

If the government went after people for that, then the people using WheresGeorge.com would be out of business.

goldmine266 · August 18, 2008 9:47PM

True

Connecticoin · August 18, 2008 11:31PM

<< 

<< It is as simple as it is obvious - replace the one dollar bill with a coin. That will free up the slot in the cash drawer for twos... >>

That is what Canada did. Until they stopped making the two dollar bill also... >>

Yup, as with the dollar coin, elimination of the $1 bill is critical. In Canada, I found $2 bills very handy in combination with the $1 coins -- I am not sure going to the $2 coins was needed, but those are handy as well, especially for vending machines.

SaorAlba · August 18, 2008 11:43PM

I for one can vouch for the fact that the Canadian $2's did circulate, I used them a lot right up until after the twoonies came out and the $2 bills disappeared. I could care less for the loonies and twoonies, but my kids like them because they end up with them since I cannot spend them or exchange them when we get back to the USA. Our forays into Canada for shopping became a hassle, since my family has two nationalities - and going into Canada was never the problem, it was coming back.

aficionado · August 19, 2008 2:44AM

<< 

<< It is as simple as it is obvious - replace the one dollar bill with a coin. That will free up the slot in the cash drawer for twos... >>

That is what Canada did. Until they stopped making the two dollar bill also... >>

Getting rid of the $1 bill will make the $2 more prevalent, thus squashing the argument $1 coin advocates make, that getting rid of the $1 bill will save money.

Connecticoin · August 19, 2008 2:55AM

<< 

<< 

<< It is as simple as it is obvious - replace the one dollar bill with a coin. That will free up the slot in the cash drawer for twos... >>

That is what Canada did. Until they stopped making the two dollar bill also... >>

Getting rid of the $1 bill will make the $2 more prevalent, thus squashing the argument $1 coin advocates make, that getting rid of the $1 bill will save money. >>

Incorrect. If $2 bills circulated along with $1 coins, the number of $2 bills needed would be much less than the number of $1 bills produced now.

cladking · August 19, 2008 10:22AM

Every coin and note that banks pass out circulates. Every one they don't pass out doesn't circulate.

StampAlarm · August 19, 2008 10:28AM

<< 

<< I only got them from my grandparents as a kid. Otherwise I have never gotten one from circulation.

U.S. also stopped making them a long time ago as far as I remember. >>

The BEP still makes $2 bills. The BEP has made them in the 1976 Series, 1995 Series, and 2003 Series. >>

How many bricks did you buy?

$2 notes circulate in Ecuador along with the SACs.

sumnom · August 19, 2008 11:37AM

<< I have lots of them, BUT they are considered unlucky to carry in purse, pocket, wallet.

Many older people feel insulted when they are given a $2.

Bad Luck >>

That's odd. I have always thought of two-dollar bills as lucky. I still do. My wife does too.

commoncents123 · August 19, 2008 11:41AM

probably for the same reason my grandmother hoards circulated presidential dollars

fishcooker · August 19, 2008 3:01PM

They don't buy anything.

mrearlygold · August 19, 2008 3:15PM

My Wife has a hoard of them

57loaded · September 1, 2008 8:25AM

i went into the bank last Friday and asked if they had any....i changed a $10 for 5 $2 bills and of course they were sequentially numbered

PCcoins · September 1, 2008 8:49AM

They are still being printed. And banks are just begging for me to take as many as I can when I go in there. No premium unless errors, or Stars in GEM condition.

MORGANHUNTER2 · September 1, 2008 9:29AM

My goofy ass brother in law uses them as tip money to the stewards and baggage check folks all the time- in fact when he hits the bank every other week he gets 1K in 2's. He gives them 2-4 and claims 6-8 - ya gotta love workin for Warren Buffet (netjets). and you think the guberment is scandolous......

Cladiator · September 1, 2008 9:39AM

They do in Bermuda quite regularly.

Why don't $2 bills circulate?

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