How rare is a red seal $2 bill?

The $2 note holds a special place in the heart of many Americans thanks to its unique denomination and the small numbers in which it’s printed. Thanks to our intrepid buyers, we’ve managed to put together a small number of sets that bring together all four “Red Seal” $2 notes from 1953, each featuring a different combination of signatures. This was the final series in which the $2 note was issued without the motto “In God We Trust,” and as these notes circulated heavily before being redeemed and then destroyed, putting together a complete set can be a tough job. But we’ve done the work for you, all in Very Fine (VF) condition. Look elsewhere and this set can cost you as much as $107!

Any American will tell you how odd a $2 note is. When I found my first one, I was convinced it was a counterfeit. But they aren’t. They are simply unique. And how do you make something that is already unique even more special? Remove a motto that has been put onto every other year of currency since then and then destroy most of the other copies. Now that’s unique!

• THE LAST SURVIVORS–The 1953 “Red Seal” $2 notes were the last issue without “In God We Trust” and when they were eventually redeemed, they were destroyed. Due to this destruction, these notes are rare, but we have them for you!

• UNIQUE LEGAL-TENDER DENOMINATION –These notes are all two dollars legal tender – a unique denomination among America’s circulating currency.

• THE GANG’S ALL HERE –Each note contains different signatures on them making each of them unique and we have gathered all four of these notes for a few complete sets for your convenience! 

• SOME VERY FINE NOTES –All of these notes, despite circulation and despite most of them being destroyed, have been graded Very Fine (VF) condition – a grade that could cost you as much as $107 elsewhere!

An American staple for individuality, the $2 note already has a special place to most citizens. This complete set of four notes ups the ante by being from the last year that the motto “In God We Trust” was printed. Not only that, but many of these notes were redeemed and promptly destroyed. Finding a set like this anywhere else might run you up $107, but GovMint has them for half that!

Until the Series of 1963, the $2 United States Note was issued along with other types of U.S. currency, such as Silver Certificates and Federal Reserve Notes.  All three types of bank notes circulated together;  they can be easily identified by the different color Treasury seals and serial numbers – the familiar Federal Reserve Notes are green, while the United States Note was red and the Silver Certificate was blue.

The most unusual and most rarely-seen of the three types of bank notes was the $2 United States Note.  It features a portrait of Thomas Jefferson on the front and a view of Jefferson’s home, Monticello, on the back.  The red seal is on the right side of the front.

 The $2 United States Note was last made in the series of 1963 and has been out of issue for more than 40 years.  It is a fascinating and seldom seen piece of American history. 

Over the last 60 years, “red seal” $2 United States Notes have disappeared from circulation.  For decades, the only bank notes made for circulation have been the Federal Reserve Notes – and on the rare occasions when United States Notes turn up at banks, they are sent to the Treasury and destroyed. 

This $2 United States Note is in beautiful hand-selected collector condition.  

Silver Certificate bank notes once circulated alongside other types of currency such as Federal Reserve Notes. Each Silver Certificate was backed by its face value in Silver Dollars or silver bullion in the United States Treasury, and holders of the notes could actually exchange them for the silver.

The last Silver Certificate ever issued was the Series of 1957 $1 Silver Certificate. Unlike todays Federal Reserve Notes that have green Treasury seals and serial numbers, Silver Certificates have distinctive blue Treasury seals and blue serial numbers. Silver Certificates were last redeemable for silver until June 24, 1968, but they remain legal tender.

Most of these historic $1 Silver Certificates were worn out or destroyed in circulation half a century ago or more. If redeemed at a bank today, Silver Certificates are destroyed by the government. As a result, very few exist in any condition. Like modern $1 bills, the $1 Silver Certificate features the familiar portrait of George Washington by artist Gilbert Stuart.