1963 $2 Red Seal Bill Value
The 1963 series was the last $2 United States Note ever printed. After it, the denomination disappeared entirely until the Bicentennial brought it back as a green seal Federal Reserve Note in 1976. That end-of-the-line status gives the 1963 a place in every type collection, which supports its price at the bottom of the range.
It is still not rare. Two series exist, 1963 and 1963A, and both were printed in the tens of millions. Expect a few dollars for a worn note and the low tens for a crisp one.
Quick facts
- Type
- United States Note
- Series
- 1963, 1963A
- Seal and serials
- Red
- Significance
- Final $2 United States Note
- Motto
- First $2 to carry In God We Trust on the back
1963 $2 Red Seal value by condition
| Condition | Estimated value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Well worn | $3 to $4 | |
| Lightly circulated | $4 to $7 | |
| About uncirculated | $8 to $12 | |
| Crisp uncirculated | $12 to $25 | |
| Star note, circulated | $8 to $18 | |
| Star note, uncirculated | $20 to $50 |
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The last of its kind
The Treasury stopped printing $2 United States Notes after the 1963A run. The denomination was unpopular at the counter, banks did not want to stock it, and the Treasury saw no reason to keep it in production. It stayed dead for thirteen years.
When the $2 came back in 1976 it came back as a Federal Reserve Note with a green seal and a completely new back design. So the 1963 red seal marks a clean break: the last of the old style and the last of the Treasury-issued twos.
In God We Trust appears for the first time
The 1963 series was the first $2 note to carry In God We Trust on the reverse, above Monticello. Earlier $2 notes, including the 1953 series, do not have it. It is a quick way to separate the two series across a room.
The motto had been required on paper currency by a 1955 law, but it took until the 1963 printings for the $2 plates to be updated.
Where the money is in this series
Ordinary 1963 and 1963A notes are worth having but will not fund anything. The upside sits in three places: star notes, especially in high grade, notes with fancy serial numbers, and printing errors.
A 1963 $2 with a solid serial number, a repeater, or a serial under 100 can jump into the hundreds. Those are worth verifying carefully, because the serial number is the one part of the note people are most tempted to alter.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the $2 bill stop being printed after 1963?
Low demand. The public rarely asked for twos, cash registers had no drawer slot for them, and banks did not order them. The Treasury discontinued the denomination in 1966 and revived it only for the 1976 Bicentennial.
How can I tell a 1963 from a 1963A?
The letter appears immediately after the series year to the right of the portrait. The difference reflects a change in the Treasury signature pair, not the design.
Is a 1963 $2 bill worth keeping?
As currency, it will always be worth at least $2. If it is crisp and unfolded, or has a star or unusual serial, it is worth setting aside properly in a sleeve.