Old paper savings bonds found in an attic or a relative's papers still pay: savings bonds never expire, and there is no deadline to cash them (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745).
Most found bonds have stopped earning interest, though: every Series E stopped by June 2010, and every Series EE bond issued January 1980 to November 1996 has reached final maturity, the date a bond stops earning interest.
ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not Treasury or TreasuryDirect, and every route below is free from Treasury. This page walks through the 7 steps for found bonds in order, from keeping them safe to cashing them.
Each step names the rule behind it and the Treasury source to check. It is written for owners and heirs holding US savings bonds on paper.
What to Do With Old Savings Bonds You Found: 7 Steps
7 steps turn a found paper bond into money: keep it unsigned, read it, value it, check its interest, confirm who is entitled, rule out an earlier payment, then cash, claim or replace it. The list below gives the order, and each step has its own section.
- Leave the bonds unsigned and write down each serial number.
- Read the series, face value, issue date and names.
- Check what each bond is worth today.
- Check whether each bond still earns interest.
- Check who is entitled to cash each bond.
- Look for signs the bond was already cashed or replaced.
- Cash, claim, replace or convert the bonds.
Step 1: Leave the Bonds Unsigned and Write Down Each Serial Number
Leave every found bond unsigned and write down its serial number, series, face value (the amount printed on the bond) and issue date first.
TreasuryDirect, the Treasury website for savings bonds, asks heirs to send estate bonds unsigned. A mailed redemption is signed on FS Form 1522; Treasury accepts bonds signed or unsigned, and heirs are asked to leave them unsigned.
What does Treasury need to identify a bond? The serial number sits in the lower right corner, and the savings bond serial number is the key to any later claim. A lost-bond claim filed 6 or more years after final maturity needs it (31 CFR 315.29(c), 353.29(c)).
For Series I bonds, a claim filed 10 or more years after maturity is barred (31 CFR 360.29(c)). Keep your list of serial numbers private and share it only with Treasury or the bank where you cash the bonds.
Keep torn or damaged bonds and every piece together. FS Publication 0107 (Rev. August 2022) says to pack the pieces and send them with FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026).
Step 2: Read the Series, Face Value, Issue Date and Names
The series sits in the upper right corner of a paper bond, the face value in the upper left, and the issue date on the right below the series. The issue date is the first day of the month the issuing agent received payment, and it sets the value.
The print (validation) date never does (FS Publication 0022). On Series E, the validation date sits lower right (31 CFR 316.2). A bond dated before 1980 is never Series EE: a 1955 bond is Series E.
The names matter as much as the dates, so learn how to read a paper savings bond line by line. The owner is the first name. An "OR" between two names makes the second person a co-owner, who can cash the bond alone.
"P.O.D." (payable on death) names a beneficiary, who has no rights while the owner lives. "AND" registration is not authorized, and a "Mail to" name confers no ownership (31 CFR 353.5, 353.7; 315.7). The guide on how to read a paper savings bond covers the OR and P.O.D. lines.
Social Security numbers appear on Series E bonds issued on or after January 1, 1974 (31 CFR 316.2(c)(1)). The TreasuryDirect timeline gives October 1, 1973 as the date for issuing agents.
Step 3: Check What the Old Bonds Are Worth Today
A $100 Series E bond is worth $362.36 to $936.44, frozen, and a $100 paper Series EE bond $54.76 to $334.80 in November 2026, depending on the issue month. Most found bonds are worth more than they cost. Frozen means the value no longer changes, because Series E bonds stopped earning interest.
A bond's value depends on three facts: series, face value and issue month. Our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, prices paper EE and E bonds without a serial number.
TreasuryDirect's calculator also covers paper I bonds and Savings Notes, and it needs no serial number either. The table below lists every series a found bond can belong to.
| Series | Issue dates | Still earning? | Worth per $100 and where cashed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A, B, C and D savings bonds | March 1935 to April 1941 | No | Face value; by mail with FS Form 1522 (TreasuryDirect's route) |
| Series E savings bonds, including war bonds | May 1941 to June 1980 | No (all stopped by June 2010) | $362.36 to $936.44, frozen; bank that agrees, or by mail |
| Series F, G, J and K savings bonds | F and G 1941 to April 1952; J and K May 1952 to April 1957 | No | Face value, plus extra for G and K (note 1); mail only |
| Series H savings bonds | June 1952 to December 1979 | No (last stopped December 2009) | Face value; mail only |
| Savings Notes (Freedom Shares) | May 1967 to October 1970 | No (final maturity May 1997 to October 2000) | TreasuryDirect's calculator; bank that agrees, or by mail |
| Series EE savings bonds, including Patriot Bonds | January 1980 to December 2011 | Depends on the issue month (note 2) | $54.76 to $334.80 (November 2026); bank that agrees, or by mail |
| Series HH savings bonds | January 1980 to August 2004 | No (all by August 1, 2024) | Face value; Treasury only, by mail, direct deposit |
| Series I savings bonds, paper | September 1998 to December 2011; tax-refund paper I bonds through 2024 | Yes (first final maturity September 2028) | TreasuryDirect's calculator; bank that agrees, or by mail |
| Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds | January 1963 (individual: January 1, 1975) to April 30, 1982 | May still earn | Not in the value files or Treasury's calculator; by mail with FS Form 1522 |
| Savings stamps and stamp albums | Sales ended June 30, 1970 | Not a bond | Not published by Treasury; see note 3 |
What a found paper savings bond is worth, by series, per $100 face unless stated. EE: redemption month November 2026; Series E: frozen. Notes: (1) G pays face plus $1.25 per $100; K pays face plus $6.90 per $500. (2) Issues to November 1996 have stopped; December 1996 issues stop December 1, 2026; later issues still earn. (3) Banks and other financial institutions, through designated Federal Reserve Banks and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Parkersburg, WV (31 CFR 316.6(c)). Source: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Savings Bonds Value Files, updated November 2, 2026; 31 CFR 315.35; TreasuryDirect.
For a $100 EE bond, the November 2026 range splits by interest status. Issues from January 1980 to November 1996, which have stopped, are worth $123.56 to $334.80. Issues from December 1996 to December 2011, which still earn, are worth $54.76 to $129.84.
Bonds issued May 2007 to December 2011 (56 issue months) are below face now and reach at least face at 20 years (31 CFR 351.35(f)(1)).
For other faces, multiply the $100 value by the face and divide by 100: a $500 bond is worth 5 times the figure. A war bond is worth the same as any Series E bond of that month and face.
Step 4: Check Whether Each Bond Still Earns Interest
Most found bonds stopped earning long ago: every Series E by June 2010, every HH by August 1, 2024, and every paper EE issued January 1980 to November 1996. Series E bonds ran 40 years for May 1941 to November 1965 issues and 30 years for December 1965 to June 1980 issues (31 CFR 316.8(b)).
EE and I bonds run 30 years (31 CFR 351.5, 359.5). EE bonds issued December 1996 stop on December 1, 2026, and the first I bonds stop in September 2028.
Does a bond gain anything after final maturity? No, a bond past final maturity gains nothing by being held. A bond that still earns can change value on the 1st of a month, never mid-month (31 CFR 351.3), and its value can rise or hold.
The guide on when savings bonds stop earning interest lists final maturity by series. Series A to D, F, G, H, J, K and Savings Notes no longer earn. Retirement Plan Bonds and Individual Retirement Bonds may still earn.
Step 5: Check Who Is Entitled to Cash the Bonds
Only the person named on the bond, or someone with legal evidence that Treasury accepts, can cash it: finding a bond does not make the finder its owner. Treasury pays only the registered owner or the person entitled (31 CFR 315.39(b), 353.39(b), 360.39(b)), and bonds are not transferable (31 CFR 353.15).
TreasuryDirect states: "You can only cash bonds that you own or co-own unless you have legal evidence or other documentation that we accept to show you are entitled to cash the bond." The table below sorts the usual found-bond situations.
| Who is named on the found bond | Who can cash it | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Your name alone, or yours with "OR" a co-owner | You (either living co-owner) | Bank or FS Form 1522; how to cash savings bonds |
| A living relative (a parent, a grown child, a sibling) | That person only | Give the bond back; power of attorney by mail; cashing savings bonds for someone else |
| A deceased owner, "P.O.D." you, or "OR" you | You, as sole owner | Death certificate plus bank or mail; POD savings bonds |
| A deceased owner, nobody named alive, the decedent's savings bonds and other Treasury securities total $100,000 or less (redemption value at death), no court administration and no state small-estate procedure | A voluntary representative: spouse first, then child (31 CFR 353.71(e)(3)) | FS Form 5336; savings bonds of a deceased parent |
| A deceased owner whose estate is in court, or whose Treasury securities were above $100,000 at death | The executor or administrator (letters dated within 1 year) | Court papers; savings bonds in probate |
| A name after "Mail to" only | Not that person (no ownership) | Read the owner line |
| Someone you bought the bond from | Not you | TreasuryDirect: you cannot cash it |
Who can cash a found paper savings bond. Rules: 31 CFR 353.5, 353.7, 353.15, 353.39(b), 353.70, 353.71; TreasuryDirect cashing page.
A surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary owns the bond outright, and a will cannot change that (31 CFR 353.70(b)(1), (c)(1); 353.20(a)). A living owner's bond needs that owner, or an attorney-in-fact (the person a power of attorney names) acting on FS Form 5188 (Rev. April 2026). Banks may not pay an attorney-in-fact (31 CFR 321.9(c)).
Step 6: Look for Signs the Bond Was Already Cashed or Replaced
A found bond can be worthless paper if Treasury already paid or replaced it. A paying bank, meaning a bank authorized to cash bonds, stamps "Paid $___", its name, location, code and date on the face, left of the issue date (31 CFR 321.13). A bond with that stamp was cashed.
A bond replaced after a lost-bond claim belongs to the United States and must be surrendered (31 CFR 315.28). A bond you find after Treasury paid a claim for it is therefore not yours to cash.
Ask the bank when an EE or I bond carries no stamp. Then, as owner or co-owner, send a signed letter with the serial numbers, without the bonds, to Treasury Retail Securities Services (the Treasury office that processes paper bonds), P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.
A bond with no claim within 10 years of its recorded redemption is presumed properly paid (31 CFR 353.29(b), 315.29(b)).
Step 7: Cash, Claim, Replace or Convert the Bonds
Cash a found bond at a bank that agrees to, or by mail with FS Form 1522; replace a damaged one with FS Form 1048; or convert eligible bonds to electronic form. The list below gives the 4 routes.
- Cash it at a bank that agrees to cash it, and check what banks cash savings bonds first.
- Mail it to Treasury with FS Form 1522 (Rev. April 2026): a notary or certifying officer (an official authorized to certify signatures) only above $1,000 in total value, otherwise a copy of your ID; address: Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.
- Replace a torn, burned or partly missing bond with FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026), sending the pieces.
- Convert paper Series E, EE or I bonds of $25 or more to electronic savings bonds through SmartExchange; the step is one-way, excludes H and HH, and is not taxable while the bond still earns.
Banks may cash paper bonds but are not required to (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022). A photo ID alone covers $1,000 or less.
A bank charges the presenter no fee and may not accept an image or copy (31 CFR 321.23(c), 321.25). Walmart and check cashers are not paying agents (31 CFR 321.2(a)), and a bond is cashed whole.
TreasuryDirect quotes these times as of November 11, 2026: in your name 3 months or longer; not in your name 5 months or longer; conversion 9 months or longer; lost-bond searches 11 months or longer. Mail has no limit on value or number of bonds, and Treasury pays by direct deposit only.
Taxes When You Cash Found Savings Bonds
The interest on a found savings bond is subject to federal income tax and exempt from state and local income tax (31 U.S.C. 3124(a)).
The interest is reportable for the year you cash the bond, dispose of it or it reaches final maturity, whichever is earliest, unless you report it yearly (26 U.S.C. 454; IRS Publication 550 (2025)).
A bank reports it on Form 1099-INT (the IRS interest statement), box 3. Treasury mails the form the following January when it pays you.
What if final maturity fell in an earlier year? The rule names that earlier year as the reporting year. No IRS or Treasury guidance on amending or reporting later for interest never reported is established, so a tax professional decides.
Interest the owner deferred until death is income in respect of a decedent, taxed to the person who acquires the bond, unless it was reported on the final return (Publications 550 and 559).
The guide on taxes on savings bond interest covers the federal side in detail. This page states the rule and gives no tax advice.
Bond Buyers, Counterfeits and Paid Finders: 3 Risks With Found Bonds
3 risks follow found bonds: buyers, counterfeits and paid finders. TreasuryDirect warns: "Do not buy savings bonds from someone else or in an online auction site. You cannot cash them." "Vintage" listings carry no Treasury collector value.
Criminals create fraudulent paper bonds from publicly available information (Treasury's 2024 Report to Congress, March 11, 2025). Treasury's 2023 Report to Congress (February 12, 2024) counted over $40 million in counterfeit redemptions since the start of calendar 2021.
The 2024 report put known fraud at no less than $50 million as of September 2024. A birth certificate number unlocks no bonds, and TreasuryDirect calls such claims false.
TreasuryDirect states there are no Treasury-approved apps or third-party websites for TreasuryDirect account access, and no Treasury rule caps a helper's fee. A finder cannot be paid from the bond, since payment goes only to the entitled owner.
A genuine bond is no exception: the registration on its face, not possession, decides who is paid, so a stranger who offers to cash your bond for a share has no route to the money. The guide on savings bond scams explains how buyers and counterfeits operate.
When the Bonds Are Missing, Inherited or Held by a State
4 other situations start where a found bond ends: bonds you cannot find, a deceased relative's bonds, matured bonds nobody cashed and bonds a state holds.
No public online lookup exists since the Treasury Hunt tool became unavailable on September 30, 2025. Bonds you see in records but cannot find in the box are claimed on FS Form 1048. The list below names the 4 situations.
- Bonds you know of but cannot find: savings bond lookup
- A deceased relative's bonds, covered in the table above
- Matured bonds nobody cashed: unclaimed savings bonds
- Bonds a state holds: savings bonds and state unclaimed property offices
Found Savings Bonds: Questions
Are old savings bonds worth anything today?
Yes: a found Series E bond pays its frozen value of $362.36 to $936.44 per $100 face, and every paper EE bond is worth more than its price in November 2026. Values for a $100 savings bond by series and issue year have their own page.
Do US saving bonds ever expire?
No: US savings bonds never expire, and there is no deadline to cash them (Executive Order 13968). They stop earning interest at final maturity.
How much would a $100 savings bond from 1985 be worth today?
A $100 Series EE bond issued in any month of 1985 is worth $230.64 in November 2026, and 1985 issues stopped earning in 2015. The table of every issue month is the 1985 Series EE savings bond value page.
How much is a $100 savings bond worth after 30 years?
A $100 paper EE bond at 30-year final maturity is worth $123.56 to $334.80 in November 2026, depending on its issue month (January 1980 to November 1996 issues).
Can I cash a savings bond for a deceased person?
Yes, as a surviving co-owner or POD beneficiary, or as the person entitled under the estate rules. With nobody named alive, bonds and other Treasury securities of $100,000 or less at redemption value at death, with no administration and no state small-estate procedure, use FS Form 5336 (31 CFR 353.71(e)). The guide on savings bonds after death explains how heirs cash or reissue them.
I found a savings bond in someone else's name. Can I cash it?
Only if you are named on it or hold legal evidence Treasury accepts. The bond is payable only to its owner or the person entitled (31 CFR 353.39(b)).
How can I find a lost US savings bond?
File FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026) with Treasury Retail Securities Services. Searches take 11 months or longer (as of November 11, 2026).
Can I deposit a found savings bond with a phone app?
No: a bank may not accept an image or copy of a savings bond (31 CFR 321.25). That bars mobile and ATM deposit of a paper bond.
Rules checked November 12, 2026, against the Treasury sources named above. How we check every date and rule.