I found the movie, well paced and very informative - being a fan of the documentary genre for years - I do admire how this film in particular worked on so MANY levels - with numerous anecdotes that would range from the technical, insightful and humorous. The narrator was a fine orator and kept you engaged with the narrative of the film. I also feel that the graphics were superb in helping to convey whatever points that were being stressed, it was done in a clean a concise manner. The movie was such a whirlwind of emotions - absorbing the many historical points of the film from numerous experts in the field, to the many humorous anecdotes that would help to lighten the mood - to the very touching family and personal anecdotes. One of the many reason that I admire all the Ken Burns films (and those of the similar types of directors) is that it is no small feat to handle such subject manner as in this film, and do the project in such a way that keeps the viewer engaged for the duration - this film excels on every level, I hope that it is a great success to all involved.
7 Reviews
Well-written & informative!
talc-534716 December 2015
Gotta love the $2 bill! Excellent narration. Superb job weaving the informative documentary with the personal stories into a very enjoyable film. I had no idea the story of the $2 bill was so fascinating. I thought its first printing was in 1976, but it's history goes back over 200 years. Cast did a marvelous job. I'm not sure if they were professional actors or actresses or just ordinary people, but they certainly appeared to have at least some acting experience. I think I recognized Erik Mintz from a B-grade sci-fi movie a few years back, but I don't recall anyone else. Hopefully, it will be shown at more theaters. Can't wait to see it again!
Why do you have one in your wallet?
elubin21 December 2015
The director takes us on a beautiful, personal, story about the $2 bill. My 12 year old son and I saw it together. It was fun to learn the history of the $2 bill. And the reasons that people keep them. You'll probably get to a point in the movie and think to yourself "That's Me!". Then pull a $2 bill out of your wallet or have a childhood flashback to your bubbe giving you one. :) You'll also walk away checking all of your serial numbers for that rare ladder. The documentary provided an good mix of expert interviews and individuals. The rare footage inside the mint is cool. We didn't know anything about the red stripe ones. Can't wait to see it again!
Very well Done
fsujamie6 December 2015
Enjoyed this documentary thoroughly. It was well done and provided a cohesive time line on the history of the Two Dollar Bill. I learned things about the Two Dollar Bill, which is what a documentary is supposed to do.
They provided real life stories that were in some cases a bit emotional and heartwarming. The documentary provided an good mix from experts and individuals.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in economics or finances, as it gives a different real life experience to the standard text book theories.
They provided real life stories that were in some cases a bit emotional and heartwarming. The documentary provided an good mix from experts and individuals.
I would recommend this to anyone interested in economics or finances, as it gives a different real life experience to the standard text book theories.
A great film about the Two Dollar Bill!
robindeljh5 December 2015
I am not a numismatist and knew nothing about the history of the Two Dollar Bill before I saw this film. I only looked at money as something to use for shopping, not as something with historical value. The Two Dollar Bill is actually quite fascinating! This film provides the history of the Two Dollar Bill in a very engaging manner. It includes individuals sharing their personal stories of the Two Dollar Bill, some of which are funny, while others are heartwarming. It has a great music score and smooth editing of old and new footage. The movie is never dry. It is rich in trivia and contains captivating interviews with people in various areas of the numismatic market. But most important is the personal touch which is brought to this film by it's filmmaker. It was obviously a labor of love.
Clever, fun, and creative!
rwatson-7671213 December 2015
Everyone who watches this documentary will end up saying, "Wow, I always wondered about that!" The film is a fun romp through the history, use (and abuse), and superstitions surrounding the 2 dollar bill. The filming is very well done and the story is most compelling. Rarely has currency been the topic of so much interest... People love the 2 or love to hate the 2. This documentary tells you why and does so in a way that even folks who are not 2 dollar bill enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy. Part of the reason why is the way the film is made. The director engages the audience in a very personal way that will leave the audience cheering for the misunderstood 2. After the film, I am confident you will leave the theater with a smile on your face, an urge to engage your friends in a stimulating conversation about the 2, and, of course, a visit to your local bank to collect a few 2s!
Film Looks at Quirky Talisman of U.S. Currency
stu-0032928 April 2017
You probably have one in stashed in a drawer. Or wadded up in a corner of your wallet. And you're not sure why.
Live, from 1976, it's the $2 bill!
Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it's detailed etching of the Declaration of Independence's presentation to the Continental Congress. And, according to The Two Dollar Bill Documentary (2015), what you think you know about it might be wrong.
"It's not a stretch to say that most Americans are decidedly misinformed about the $2 bill," says John Bennardo, who produced and directed the film.
Indeed, one of the Frequently Asked Questions on the Treasury Department website is: "Why did the Treasury Department remove the $2 bill from circulation?"
Well, it didn't. There are about 1.2 billion out there.
Like many niche pieces of Americana, the $2 bill has its fans.
"People have decided it's a kind of talisman (and treat it) in a way that they don't treat other money," says David Wolman, author of "The End of Money."
The Two Dollar Bill Documentary looks at why.
Following a brief history of $2 notes in the United States, along with a look at design elements unique to the bill, Bennardo interviews MIT graduate Erik Mintz, who conducted a survey of why people think a $2 bill is somehow special and worth holding onto. The top three responses were:
1. The misperception of rarity (46 percent); 2. A sense of nostalgia (29 percent); and 3. Belief they are lucky (11 percent).
In fact, the two is rare only in comparison to other denominations. But does have some design elements that set it apart. The front bears the image of Jefferson, a man widely regarded as quirky – like the $2 bill. The second president first appeared on the 1869 U.S. note. The same image has appeared on subsequent Federal Reserve notes.
The first "modern" version, issued in 1928, had a front similar to the current bill but with the serial number and Treasury seal in red. The back featured an etching of Jefferson's Virginia home, Monticello, a structure as quirky as he was. After minor, cosmetic changes in 1953 and 1963, the notes were discontinued in 1966.
By 1976, the federal government wanted to save money by printing fewer bills while keeping the same value of money in circulation. The answer: Replace some singles with twos. The political cover? Celebrate the Bicentennial! Those disparate motivations gave birth to the current $2 note, which has a similar front but with the serial number and seal in green.
It is the rear of the 1976 note that really draws the eye. It features an altered image of the John Trumbull painting "Declaration of Independence" engraved in an older, more-complex process known as intaglio. The result is a bill that many consider too beautiful to spend.
"There is a lot more intaglio printing on the two than on the other denominations," says Charlene Williams, manufacturing director at Bureau of Printing and Engraving facility in Fort Worth, Texas. "It kind of goes back to the old style of currency. People love the intaglio print."
The sense of nostalgia prompted by the $2 bill often, but not always, stems from where or how a person received one. Many are passed from one generation to the next, so they evoke memories of beloved parents or grandparents. But the film also includes heartwarming stories of twos from World War II and 9/11.
The perception of luck associated with the two swings both good and bad. Racetracks took $2 bets and often paid off winners in twos. Of course, those winners didn't always want to tip off others that they'd been hanging out at the track. Some folks claim to see an image of the devil on the bill; others identify clues they believe link twos to the Illuminati.
There is a perception that merchants don't like to accept $2 bills – that there is no place for them in a cash drawer and that vending machines won't take them. But the issue appears to be more with a merchant's knowledge and attitude. Those that don't mind twos manage to find a place for them, and modern vending machines that accept paper money have the capacity to accept twos – they simply must be programmed to do so.
The film offers jaw-dropping stories of merchants who simply don't believe $2 bills are real. At one Best Buy, store employees accused a customer who tried to use them of counterfeiting and called police; an officer actually took the man to jail before someone called the Secret Service and got the facts.
Which brings us to the uniqueness of a $2 bill transaction: the opportunity it offers to start a conversation.
Bennardo illustrates this by interviewing a man named Matt Zaklad, along with the proprietor of a food truck he patronizes. Zaklad makes a habit of spending twos, and both men recall how quickly the food-truck workers began recognizing Zaklad and remembering his usual order.
Groups as diverse as marijuana activists, 2nd Amendment enthusiasts and Clemson University football fans have used $2 bills as political props to demonstrate their economic impact.
In the end, The Two Dollar Bill Documentary appears to tell us that the note is worth, to each of us, whatever we impute to it. For most folks, as well as banks and merchants, that value is $2. But for some individuals, the two represents a loved one, a memory or a cause. It's hard to put prices on those.
###
Stu Robinson does writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.
Live, from 1976, it's the $2 bill!
Yours may still be crisp, with its bust of Thomas Jefferson on the front and, on the back, it's detailed etching of the Declaration of Independence's presentation to the Continental Congress. And, according to The Two Dollar Bill Documentary (2015), what you think you know about it might be wrong.
"It's not a stretch to say that most Americans are decidedly misinformed about the $2 bill," says John Bennardo, who produced and directed the film.
Indeed, one of the Frequently Asked Questions on the Treasury Department website is: "Why did the Treasury Department remove the $2 bill from circulation?"
Well, it didn't. There are about 1.2 billion out there.
Like many niche pieces of Americana, the $2 bill has its fans.
"People have decided it's a kind of talisman (and treat it) in a way that they don't treat other money," says David Wolman, author of "The End of Money."
The Two Dollar Bill Documentary looks at why.
Following a brief history of $2 notes in the United States, along with a look at design elements unique to the bill, Bennardo interviews MIT graduate Erik Mintz, who conducted a survey of why people think a $2 bill is somehow special and worth holding onto. The top three responses were:
1. The misperception of rarity (46 percent); 2. A sense of nostalgia (29 percent); and 3. Belief they are lucky (11 percent).
In fact, the two is rare only in comparison to other denominations. But does have some design elements that set it apart. The front bears the image of Jefferson, a man widely regarded as quirky – like the $2 bill. The second president first appeared on the 1869 U.S. note. The same image has appeared on subsequent Federal Reserve notes.
The first "modern" version, issued in 1928, had a front similar to the current bill but with the serial number and Treasury seal in red. The back featured an etching of Jefferson's Virginia home, Monticello, a structure as quirky as he was. After minor, cosmetic changes in 1953 and 1963, the notes were discontinued in 1966.
By 1976, the federal government wanted to save money by printing fewer bills while keeping the same value of money in circulation. The answer: Replace some singles with twos. The political cover? Celebrate the Bicentennial! Those disparate motivations gave birth to the current $2 note, which has a similar front but with the serial number and seal in green.
It is the rear of the 1976 note that really draws the eye. It features an altered image of the John Trumbull painting "Declaration of Independence" engraved in an older, more-complex process known as intaglio. The result is a bill that many consider too beautiful to spend.
"There is a lot more intaglio printing on the two than on the other denominations," says Charlene Williams, manufacturing director at Bureau of Printing and Engraving facility in Fort Worth, Texas. "It kind of goes back to the old style of currency. People love the intaglio print."
The sense of nostalgia prompted by the $2 bill often, but not always, stems from where or how a person received one. Many are passed from one generation to the next, so they evoke memories of beloved parents or grandparents. But the film also includes heartwarming stories of twos from World War II and 9/11.
The perception of luck associated with the two swings both good and bad. Racetracks took $2 bets and often paid off winners in twos. Of course, those winners didn't always want to tip off others that they'd been hanging out at the track. Some folks claim to see an image of the devil on the bill; others identify clues they believe link twos to the Illuminati.
There is a perception that merchants don't like to accept $2 bills – that there is no place for them in a cash drawer and that vending machines won't take them. But the issue appears to be more with a merchant's knowledge and attitude. Those that don't mind twos manage to find a place for them, and modern vending machines that accept paper money have the capacity to accept twos – they simply must be programmed to do so.
The film offers jaw-dropping stories of merchants who simply don't believe $2 bills are real. At one Best Buy, store employees accused a customer who tried to use them of counterfeiting and called police; an officer actually took the man to jail before someone called the Secret Service and got the facts.
Which brings us to the uniqueness of a $2 bill transaction: the opportunity it offers to start a conversation.
Bennardo illustrates this by interviewing a man named Matt Zaklad, along with the proprietor of a food truck he patronizes. Zaklad makes a habit of spending twos, and both men recall how quickly the food-truck workers began recognizing Zaklad and remembering his usual order.
Groups as diverse as marijuana activists, 2nd Amendment enthusiasts and Clemson University football fans have used $2 bills as political props to demonstrate their economic impact.
In the end, The Two Dollar Bill Documentary appears to tell us that the note is worth, to each of us, whatever we impute to it. For most folks, as well as banks and merchants, that value is $2. But for some individuals, the two represents a loved one, a memory or a cause. It's hard to put prices on those.
###
Stu Robinson does writing, editing, media relations and social media through his business, Phoenix-based Lightbulb Communications.
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