It used to be that some people would tear off a corner of a $2 to "ward off bad luck". The $2 bill was considered "unlucky", in large part because a lot of people would lose bets they made at the $2 window at the race track.
I haven't been that lucky. When I go to the bank I buy every $2 bill they have off them. But I have yet to find a red seal.
I had never heard that before...very interesting. I have a couple old circulated red seal $2s with corners torn off, now I know why. Thanks!
On top of that, a 2 is also known as a "deuce" (as in the "deuce of spades", etc.), but "deuce" can also mean "bad luck"! So 2-dollar bills were considered particularly "unlucky"!