The two-dollar bill returned as a Federal Reserve Note on April 13, 1976, during the United States Bicentennial.
The Treasury reintroduced the denomination on Thomas Jefferson’s 233rd birthday. The timing connected the note to both a major American historical figure and the national anniversary celebrations. The redesigned note featured a portrait of Jefferson on the front and a reproduction of John Trumbull’s painting Declaration of Independence on the back.
The two-dollar denomination had existed before 1976 but had not been printed as a Federal Reserve Note since 1966. Its return was part of the broader Bicentennial-era interest in American history and symbolism.
The note is often mistaken for a special commemorative currency issue. It was a circulating Federal Reserve Note, although many people saved examples because of the Bicentennial design and release date. The denomination remains legal tender.