Description and research notes
This 1976 Bicentennial Issue 2 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Richmond District (Friedberg 1935-E, EA Block) carries the official First Day of Issue postal cancellation applied on April 13 1976, the very day the new $2 denomination was released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States. The note, graded PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated, retains full originality and vibrant color, with a clear 13-cent Liberty Bell stamp and matching postmark that together transform it from ordinary currency into a first-day historical document.
The Bicentennial of 1976 marked two centuries since the Declaration of Independence, and it became a nationwide year-long celebration of history and unity. Every government agency was asked to participate in some visible way. The Treasury Department revived the dormant $2 bill as its contribution—a gesture designed so every citizen could hold an affordable memento of the nation’s 200th birthday. It was the first and only circulating paper-money commemorative ever produced by the United States.
The note was unveiled on April 13 1976, Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, and quickly became a sensation. Banks and post offices across America sold crisp $2s and offered postal cancellations dated that day, creating the popular combination of *banknote + stamp + postmark* now known as the Bicentennial First Day of Issue. Lines stretched out the doors as millions of Americans purchased notes not to spend but to save as keepsakes. Those who combined them with the matching 13-cent Liberty Bell stamp created one of the most iconic souvenirs of the entire Bicentennial year.
Artistically, the note’s reverse features John Trumbull’s 1818 painting *The Signing of the Declaration of Independence*, newly engraved by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for this issue. The green Treasury seal replaced the older red Legal Tender emblem, symbolizing America’s modern Federal Reserve system while preserving the founding imagery at its core.
This Richmond-district example, certified PMG 64 Choice Uncirculated, represents the perfect midpoint between circulation and preservation—an original, hand-stamped piece of history from April 13 1976 itself. It captures in one artifact the artistry of the Bureau, the enthusiasm of the American public, and the symbolic unity of the Bicentennial celebration—the day every citizen could literally hold a piece of 1776.