Why is it so hard to find a two dollar bill?

Answer 1

Two-dollar bills make up only about 1% of the total of US bills in circulation, despite efforts to increase their use. Unfortunately they tend to be hoarded as a novelty because people thought they would be worth something one day. However anything dated 1976 or later is now and will only be worth $2 for the foreseeable future.

The $2 bill is not commonly used for a number of rather foolish reasons. The denomination was very popular in the late 19th century among gamblers because $2 was the most common amount bet on horse races, and in those pre-inflation days it was often the cost of basic services in brothels. As a result the denomination developed a reputation of being used only by low-lifes and criminals. In that puritanical age, "decent" people refused to spend the bills because they were afraid that recipients would assume they'd been acquired in one of those unsavory venues. As a result the denomination became uncommon in ordinary commerce.

Low use today is a kind of circular problem. Because 2s are seen infrequently people who do get them in change tend to hold them as "curiosities" instead of returning them to circulation. That makes them even less common so still more disappear into drawers and safe deposit boxes. In addition, their low circulation means that cash drawers don't have slots for 2s and many vending machines aren't programmed to read them, giving people still more reasons not to use them and again making their use even less frequent.