The two dollar bill has many
oddities. The fact that it is near obsolete is only
one of them. Here are a few of the rest:
1. The denomination.
By today's
standards, in the
USA, two dollars is an odd denomination. We're used to
ones, fives,
tens, etc. But a two? They're now a
rarity to come across, so we look at them
differently.
2. Bad luck?
For a while, two dollar bills were commonly used in
voter payoffs and
betting. These activities
garnered a
reputation of bad luck for the
poor bills. This tradition is still held on to by some. To
counteract the '
hex', these people tear a corner off of the
deuces they come in contact with. For some reason, that's supposed to
ward off the evil.
3. '
Whore note'.
That's right. Back before
inflation made prices soar, two dollars was a good price for a
bit of action. This
ill repute lended itself to the nickname and to a
stigma that lasted long after the price was
out of date. This
prostitution connection also has kept
Jefferson from being on other denominations. He was considered for the
Susan B. Anthony dollar, but this was one of the reasons that kept his face from being on it.
4. The
artwork.
The etch work done on the bill is simply
exquisite. It is an
beautiful representation of "
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence" by
John Trumbull. But it is just that. A representation. It is not accurate. One of the
key elements of original piece was the
tension between
Adams and Jefferson. This was shown by Jefferson's
foot stepping on Adams'.
A slight detail. But one that is
missing from the
two dollar bill.