Collectors call 1873 $2 bills lazy deuces. The nickname derives from the fact that the large two on the front of each bill is laying on its side. At some point someone said the term lazy deuce and it stuck. The two dollar national bank note was discontinued in 1878, so that leaves just a five year production period. Most 1873 two dollar bills are very scarce today. The most common examples in poor condition are worth around $1,000. Examples from rare banks or bills that are in perfect condition are worth and sell for several thousand dollars or more. Even if a bank was open in 1873 it didn’t necessarily print two dollar bills. There were plenty of dollar coins circulating in the 1870s, so a lot of national banks didn’t bother to print one and two dollar bills because the need was already being satisfied by coinage. Even if a bank did choose to print 1873 two dollar bills, they were still only printed at a rate of one two dollar bill for every three one dollar bill. Most banks that did print $2 bills almost always issued less than 10,000 examples over the entire life of the bank. You can see why some are so rare and valuable today.
Remember that Series of 1875 can also printed on $2 bills in addition to the 1873 charter date. These notes can have a red seal that is spiked or rounded. Each two dollar bill should have a red charter number stamped on its face. This numbering system began in 1872 and was active while these were being printed in 1873 and didn’t stop until the end of the national currency period.
We provide free appraisals for all national currency. Send us a picture of your bank note and we would be happy to tell you how much it is worth. We can also provide our buy and sell prices.
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The following national banks printed 1873 $2 bills:
- Charter 2077 – First National Gold Bank of Stockton, California
- Charter 2104 – First National Gold Bank of Santa Barbara, California
- Charter 2104 – First National Bank of Santa Barbara, California
- Charter 2104 – First National Trust & Savings Bank of Santa Barbara, California
- Charter 2129 – First National Bank of Central City, Colorado
- Charter 2075 – City National Bank of Griffin, Georgia
- Charter 2075 – First National Bank of Griffin, Georgia
- Charter 2100 – Edgar County National Bank of Paris, Illinois
- Charter 2116 – Griggsville National Bank, Illinois
- Charter 2124 – Decatur National Bank, Illinois
- Charter 2126 – First National Bank of Lincoln, Illinois
- Charter 2128 – First National Bank of Shelbyville, Illinois
- Charter 2090 – Richmond National Bank, Indiana
- Charter 2101 – First National Bank of Michigan City, Indiana
- Charter 2119 – First National Bank of Marshall County at Plymouth, Indiana
- Charter 2080 – Monticello National Bank, Iowa
- Charter 2115 – Farmers National Bank of Marshalltown, Iowa
- Charter 2130 – First National Bank of Red Oak, Iowa
- Charter 2082 – Atchison National Bank, Kansas
- Charter 2094 – First National Bank of Manhattan, Kansas
- Charter 2093 – City National Bank of Paducah, Kentucky
- Charter 2086 – Hibernia National Bank of New Orleans, Louisiana
- Charter 2089 – Veazie National Bank of Bangor, Maine
- Charter 2097 – Lime Rock National Bank of Rockland, Maine
- Charter 2103 – Central National Bank of Boston, Massachusetts
- Charter 2107 – Natick National Bank, Massachusetts
- Charter 2108 – Union Market National Bank of Watertown, Massachusetts
- Charter 2111 – Manufacturers National Bank of Boston, Massachusetts
- Charter 2112 – First Ward National Bank of Boston, Massachusetts
- Charter 2113 – First National Bank of Ashburnham, Massachusetts
- Charter 2081 – Lumberman’s National Bank of Muskegon, Michigan
- Charter 2084 – First National Bank of Ishpeming, Michigan
- Charter 2085 – First National Bank of Negaunee, Michigan
- Charter 2095 – First National Bank of Centreville, Michigan
- Charter 2088 – Union National Bank of Rochester, Minnesota
- Charter 2122 – Farmers National Bank of Owatonna, Minnesota
- Charter 2105 – Peoples National Bank of Helena, Montana
- Charter 2106 – Missoula National Bank, Montana
- Charter 2106 – First National Bank of Missoula, Montana
- Charter 2121 – First National Bank of Ashland, Nebraska
- Charter 2076 – National Union Bank of Dover, New Jersey
- Charter 2083 – North Ward National Bank of Newark, New Jersey
- Charter 2074 – Citizens National Bank of Yonkers, New York
- Charter 2117 – Home National Bank, New York
- Charter 2091 – Phoenix National Bank of Medina, Ohio
- Charter 2098 – Lagonda National Bank of Springfield, Ohio
- Charter 2098 – Lagonda-Citizens National Bank of Springfield, Ohio
- Charter 2102 – Noble County National Bank of Caldwell, Ohio
- Charter 2078 – First National Bank of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
- Charter 2131 – Green Lane National Bank, Pennsylvania
- Charter 2087 – Winnsboro National Bank, South Carolina
- Charter 2096 – Fourth National Bank of Memphis, Tennessee
- Charter 2114 – First National Bank of Fayetteville, Tennessee
- Charter 2127 – State National Bank of Memphis, Tennessee
- Charter 2127 – Central-State National Bank of Memphis, Tennessee
- Charter 2092 – National Exchange Bank of Houston, Texas
- Charter 2099 – First National Bank of Denison, Texas
- Charter 2118 – First National Bank of Austin, Texas
- Charter 2109 – National Bank of Barre, Vermont
- Charter 2120 – First National Bank of Chelsea, Vermont
- Charter 2079 – First National Bank of Baraboo, Wisconsin
- Charter 2123 – First National Bank of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Charter 2125 – First National Bank of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
- Charter 2110 – Wyoming National Bank of Laramie City, Wyoming
- Charter 2110 – Wyoming National Bank of Laramie, Wyoming
