The Crazy History of the Two Dollar Bill

The two dollar bill, informally known as “Tom,” has a most peculiar history. At only about 1% of the currency, the two dollar bill is the rarest form of paper money in the U.S. The low printing numbers starting mid-century led people to hoard them and strengthened the legends around these rare notes. But, the real history behind these bills is more interesting than any legend!

This denomination has a complicated backstory. Would you believe that owning a Tom around the time of its introduction could make you look like a criminal or a gambler? Find out why and discover the fascinating history of the two collar bill in the video below. And, you can check out another interesting American story, the tale of the Poison Squad.