The two-dollar bill returned in 1976 with John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence on its reverse. The engraving shows a scene based on Trumbull’s famous painting of the presentation of the draft declaration to Congress.
The note’s front retained a portrait of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The reverse had previously shown Monticello, but the design was changed when the denomination was reissued as a Federal Reserve Note in the spring of 1976.
The timing created a strong connection with the United States Bicentennial, although the note was not technically a special commemorative issue. The Treasury reintroduced the denomination for broader currency and cost considerations, while the historical reverse suited the national anniversary.
This bill is often mistakenly described as a limited-edition Bicentennial souvenir. More than 590 million Series 1976 notes were produced, making the issue historically significant but not inherently scarce.