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Comment by j7ake | Hacker News Reader

Is there a market to buy 2 dollar bills for less than two? You say they’re worth less so maybe it’s an arbitrage opportunity

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> You say they’re worth less

They said they're (mostly) not worth more than $2.

They aren't worth less than $2 either. They are worth $2.

$2 bills are somewhat rare and are considered lucky. We could use math to prove that on average $2 dollar bill is worth more than $2. 1 - There exist collectable $2 dollar bills which are worth significantly more than $2. 2 - there are no $2 dollar bills which are worth less than $2 due to being legal tender. From 1 and 2 - average value of all $2 bills is above $2.

Counterpoint: there are places in the world where people will not accept a $2 bill due to unfamiliarity - it may as well be a $7 bill. Therefore, there exists a $2 that's worth nothing as legal tender.

All it takes is a cooperating bank teller, $200, and some patience and you can order a strap of $2's. Chances are large that 100 uncirculated $2 bills in sequential order will be ready for you to pick up in a few days.

I don't expect there's much more value than $200 in there, but if you disagree, you're welcome to figure out what your local bank's limit on currency ordering is :P

The San Diego zoo used to make a point of stocking all their cashiers with $2 bills, as a subtle "this is how much we bring to the local economy" indicator.

It's not a bad idea for a small business, either, until everyone starts doing it.

There's a strip club in Portland that only gives out $2 bills in change, as the minimum you should toss on stage at any one time.

What's really funny is, if you walk into any other bar in Portland and tip with them, there's a good chance the bartender will ask if you've just been to that stripclub.

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