When the U.S. Mint reissued two-dollar bills, I thought they might someday become collectors' items. I went to the bank and picked up a hundred, serially numbered and still in their original band. On my next trip to my parents' house, I gave the $200 to my mother and said, "Take good care of these. They might be worth something someday."

Just recently, I asked Mom if she was keeping the two-dollar bills safe.

"Oh, yes!" she replied. "I deposited them in the bank the day after you gave them to me."