Description and research notes
This 1976 2 Dollars Federal Reserve Note from the Richmond District (Friedberg 1935-E, EA Block) bears a hand-applied courtesy autograph by Treasurer of the United States Francine Neff, written neatly across the portrait of Thomas Jefferson. Neff’s autograph connects the note directly to the U.S. Treasury at a pivotal moment in modern currency history — the nationwide reintroduction of the $2 denomination during America’s Bicentennial year.
Issued on April 13, 1976, Jefferson’s birthday, the redesigned $2 note marked the denomination’s first appearance in circulation since 1966. The release coincided with the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and many examples were postmarked on that date and retained as keepsakes. The reverse design, newly engraved by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, adapts John Trumbull’s 1818 painting 'The Signing of the Declaration of Independence,' while the red seal of earlier Legal Tender issues was replaced with the green Treasury seal to signify the note’s reclassification as a Federal Reserve issue.
Courtesy autographs—distinct from mechanical reproductions—were personally signed by the officials whose facsimile signatures appear on the printed note. Francine Neff, who served as Treasurer from 1974 to 1977, was among the few Treasury officials known to sign these Bicentennial $2 notes for collectors, visiting dignitaries, and BEP guests. Each autograph represents a tangible act of engagement between the Treasury and the public, turning standard circulation notes into historically personalized artifacts.
Certified PMG 66 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, this example displays luminous paper brightness, precise centering, and vivid color saturation. The pen signature remains bold and well-anchored, enhancing both presentation and provenance. Combining numismatic precision, national symbolism, and direct human connection, this note embodies the Bicentennial spirit in physical form—an artifact literally signed by the Treasury official whose name it bears.