Why a $2 bill lying around your house could be worth thousands

Could you be in possession of a $2 bill that is actually worth thousands?

If you have any $2 bills lying around, they may be worth more than you think.

A $2 bill printed in 2003 with a very low serial number sold at auction for $2,400 and was resold for $4,000, according to Heritage Auctions, the largest auction house globally that deals with currency, reports CNN.

However, this can’t be any old $2 bill; it has to meet special requirements that make it worth way more than the number printed on its front.

Any $2 bills that are uncirculated, and therefore in good condition, from nearly every year between 1862 to 1896 could amount to $1,000, according to the US Currency Auctions.

An uncirculated $2 bill from 1890 could leave you going home with an estimated $4,500.

Other notes check out to be worth hundreds of dollars, but a note after 1917 is less valuable, with notes only amounting to less than $100 on average, with the exception of an uncirculated 1928 $2 bill that could also be worth $1,000.

The notes also have to have a specific colour seal printed on them, such as red, although brown and blue are also described by the US Currency Auctions as having a high price point in certain years of print.

The $2 note was first issued by the government in 1862 and adorned many different designs, most notably Founding Father Thomas Jefferson on the face of the bill.

Since 1976, the back featured a portrayal of the presentation of the Declaration of Independence, which Mr Jefferson authored, according to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in the Department of the Treasury.

The $2 bill was never the most popular note, as they were viewed as unlucky or awkward to use before wartime inflation and economic expansion saw their use increase.

The bill would often be returned to the Treasury with corners torn off, making them unfit for circulation.

However, luck may now just be what these $2 bills could bring, especially if you find an uncirculated note from over 100 years ago; you may find yourself in possession of thousands of dollars instead.

To check the full list of $2 bill estimated valuations, visit the US Currency Auctions site.