The serial number on a paper savings bond is printed in the lower right corner of the bond's face, and it has 3 parts: a letter for the denomination, the bond's own number and a letter for the series.
Treasury uses that serial number to cash bonds by mail, to replace lost bonds and to check whether a bond was already paid.
No public website or public Treasury tool looks up a savings bond by serial number. ClaimMyBonds is a private, independent guide, not the government, and it never asks you for serial numbers. For every other field on the face, see how to read a paper savings bond.
Where Is the Serial Number on a Savings Bond?
TreasuryDirect places the serial number "in the lower right corner" of a paper savings bond, below the owner and address lines. The denomination sits in the upper left corner and the series in the upper right corner. Answers that say "top" or "left corner" are wrong.
Treasury's calculator instructions show a labelled diagram of a bond face with the same layout.
How to Tell the Serial Number From the Other Numbers on the Bond
Only the number in the lower right corner of a paper savings bond is the serial number. The 6 items in the table below are the numbers and dates owners most often mix up with it.
| Item | Where on the face | Format | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denomination | Upper left | Dollar amount ("50", or "FIFTY DOLLARS" on Treasury's diagram) | Prices the bond together with series and issue date |
| Series | Upper right | EE, E, I, HH; Patriot Bonds say "Patriot Bond" and are EE | Picks the value table |
| Issue date | Right side, below the series (Series E: upper right-hand portion) | Month and year; always the 1st of the month in which payment was received | Sets the value |
| Print or validation date | Right side, below the issue date (Series E: lower right-hand portion) | Month, day and year, for example "FRB PITT 11-30-05" on Treasury's diagram | Never used for value; can be later than the issue date after a reissue or replacement |
| Social Security number | Owner line | The owner's or first co-owner's number; a gift bond can carry the purchaser's; shown as five asterisks plus the last 4 digits is "NOT a problem"; required on Series E bonds issued on or after January 1, 1974 (31 CFR 316.2(c)(1); TreasuryDirect's timeline gives October 1, 1973) | Treasury's records |
| Serial number | Lower right corner | Denomination letter, number, series letter or letters | Forms, letters and bank checks (see the table in the next section) |
Source: TreasuryDirect calculator instructions and example diagram; FS Publication 0022 (Rev. October 2022); 31 CFR 316.2, 351.42.
A paying agent's "Paid" stamp goes to the left of the issue date and the validating data, and it must not overprint the serial number (31 CFR Part 321, Appendix, para. 14).
Serial Numbers on Patriot Bonds, Series E, HH and I Bonds
Patriot Bonds, Series E, HH and I bonds carry the serial number in the same lower right place; TreasuryDirect's location rule covers every paper savings bond. Patriot Bonds are paper Series EE bonds issued December 2001 to December 2011 with "Patriot Bond" printed on them, and the EE rules apply.
On Series E bonds the validation stamp also sits in the lower right-hand portion (31 CFR 316.2(c)(3)), so the serial number is the line that ends in "E".
Treasury's diagram shows a 2005 Series I bond. Paying agent rules name 3 paper stock eras: before October 1957, punch card or machine-readable before January 1989, and machine-readable after December 1988. Older bonds were printed on different paper stock, so they may not look exactly like the diagram.
What the Letters and Numbers in a Savings Bond Serial Number Mean
A savings bond serial number has 3 parts in a fixed order: a letter for the denomination, a numeric serial number and a letter for the series.
The Fiscal Service instructions for its bond verification tool describe it as "the letter denomination, numeric serial number, and letter series". The table below sets out the 3 parts.
| Part | Position | What it stands for | What Treasury publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First letter | Start | The denomination | The letter-to-face-value list is not published in the sources ClaimMyBonds uses; read the face value in the upper left corner |
| Digits | Middle | The bond's own number | The count is not published; TreasuryDirect's calculator field takes up to 13 characters |
| Last letter(s) | End | The series, for example EE, E, I | Must match the series printed in the upper right corner |
Structure from the Fiscal Service verification tool instructions: "the letter denomination, numeric serial number, and letter series".
A full serial number starts and ends with letters. Copy every character, in order, with no spaces added or dropped. The structure comes from the verification tool instructions.
The First Letter: The Denomination
The first letter stands for the bond's face value. ClaimMyBonds has found no Treasury source that lists which letter means which face value, so this page prints no letter table. Read the face value from the upper left corner of the bond instead.
The Digits: The Bond's Own Number
The digits are the bond's own number, which tells it apart from every other bond of the same series and face value.
TreasuryDirect's calculator accepts up to 13 characters in its serial field, but that is a limit of the web form, not a published format rule. Treasury does not publish how many digits a serial number holds.
The Last Letters: The Series
The last letter or letters name the series, such as EE, E or I. The series printed in the upper right corner must match them. Series EE savings bonds were issued as paper bonds from January 1980 to December 2011, so their serial numbers end in "EE".
How Treasury and Banks Use the Serial Number
Treasury asks for the serial number in 7 situations, from cashing a paper bond by mail to replacing a lost one, and banks can use it as well.
The table below lists each situation with the form or route and what you write about each bond; row 8 is an optional bank tool, not a Treasury request.
| # | Situation | Form or route (revision) | What you write about each bond | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cash a paper bond by mail | FS Form 1522 (Rev. April 2026) | "Describe the bonds by issue date and serial number" | sav1522.pdf |
| 2 | Replace a lost, stolen or destroyed bond | FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026) | Serial number in Item 1, or issue date (exact or range), face amount and inscription | sav1048.pdf |
| 3 | Bond bought but never received | FS Form 3062-4 (Rev. April 2026), certifying officer only, no notary | Serial, or exact issue date or range, SSN, name, address and number of bonds | sav3062-4.pdf |
| 4 | Correct a serial given wrongly on a claim | FS Form 2243 (Rev. April 2026) | Corrected serial numbers | sav2243.pdf |
| 5 | Estate of $100,000 or less, not administered | FS Form 5336 (Rev. April 2026) | Serial number, confirmation number or check number | sav5336.pdf |
| 6 | Was it already cashed or replaced? | Signed letter to Treasury Retail Securities Services (see the steps below) | The serial number(s); no bonds enclosed | TreasuryDirect cashing page |
| 7 | Payment not received after cashing | Notice to the agency that took the bond | Series, denomination, serial number and registration with the owner's TIN | 31 CFR 353.42 |
| 8 | Cashing at a bank | The bank's own check; see banks that cash savings bonds; banks may cash but are not required to | A bank can check the serial against Treasury's lost, stolen or never-received file with optional tools | FS Publication 0022 |
When the Serial Number Is Required: Claims Six Years After Final Maturity
A lost-bond claim filed six years or more after the bond's final maturity is not considered unless the claimant supplies the serial number (31 CFR 315.29(c) and 353.29(c), eCFR as of November 6, 2026).
The two sections use the same words, one for Series A to K and savings notes (Part 315) and one for Series EE and HH (Part 353).
Final maturity is the date a bond stops earning interest. Our guide to final maturity lists it by series.
As of November 2026, the six-year point has passed for every Series E bond (the last stopped by June 2010), every Series H bond (December 2009), every savings note (October 2000) and all paper EE bonds issued January 1980 to November 1990.
Series HH bonds reach it between 2006 and August 2030. Take two $100 EE bonds, one issued in November 1990 (final maturity November 1, 2020) and one in December 1990 (December 1, 2020).
Each is worth $207.36 in November 2026. A claim for the November bond filed now needs its serial number, and the December bond reaches that point on December 1, 2026.
Paper Series I claims filed 10 years or more after maturity are barred (31 CFR 360.29(c)). Read the rule text in 31 CFR 353.29 on eCFR.
Bank Checks Against Treasury's Lost, Stolen and Never-Received File
Banks that cash paper savings bonds can check a serial number against a Treasury file of bonds reported lost, stolen, or never received. FS Publication 0022 (Rev.
October 2022) offers paying agents tools that "allow you to verify bonds' serial numbers against a Treasury file of bonds reported lost, stolen, or never received"; see FS Publication 0022.
One tool is the Savings Bond Valuation and Verification tool, SBVV. A bank enters the serial number, the last 4 digits of the taxpayer number (for bonds issued January 1974 and later) and the issue month, and SBVV answers "Valid" or "Bond Not Found".
SBVV "is not available to the general public". Savings Bond Pro, the older tool, lost support on May 31, 2025. Banks may cash paper bonds but are not required to.
What States Receive From Treasury (No Serial Numbers)
States receive the names and addresses of owners, co-owners and beneficiaries, but no serial numbers, Social Security numbers or denominations (89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024; 31 CFR 323.11(b)), and only after signing an information-sharing agreement. Treasury published the rule in the Federal Register.
The statute, 31 U.S.C. 3105(f), says the data "may include" the serial number. Treasury chose not to release it. No state is publicly known to have an agreement as of November 11, 2026. See what state unclaimed property offices can and cannot do, state by state.
Is There a Savings Bond Serial Number Lookup?
No public website or public Treasury tool looks up a savings bond by its serial number; Treasury's SBVV tool does so for paying agents only. Treasury publishes no way to read the issue year or owner from a serial number; both are printed on the bond itself.
The 2 routes TreasuryDirect names are your bank and a signed letter to Treasury Retail Securities Services. Lost bonds go through FS Form 1048, covered below.
Checking Whether a Bond Was Already Cashed: A Signed Letter
To find out whether a paper EE or I bond was already cashed or replaced, ask your bank first, then write to Treasury Retail Securities Services. The 5 steps below follow TreasuryDirect's cashing page.
- Ask the bank that you use whether it can tell you.
- List each serial number. TreasuryDirect asks only for the serial numbers; adding series, face value and issue month is our suggestion.
- Keep the bonds at home, because TreasuryDirect says "Do NOT send the actual bonds".
- Sign the letter as the owner or a co-owner.
- Mail it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.
Bonds from a deceased owner follow TreasuryDirect's death-of-owner route instead.
What TreasuryDirect's Savings Bond Calculator Does With a Serial Number
TreasuryDirect's Savings Bond Calculator prices a paper bond without the serial number ("You need not enter the bond's serial number") and does not check a serial number you type in. Our own savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, needs none either.
The optional field only labels the bonds in your inventory. TreasuryDirect says its calculator "WILL NOT" verify that you own bonds, guarantee that a serial number is valid or guarantee that a bond is eligible to be cashed (see the price page).
Treasury Hunt Searched by Social Security Number, Not Serial Number
Treasury Hunt, the Treasury search tool that is no longer available as of September 30, 2025, matched bonds by Social Security number, not by serial number. Its 2019 relaunch searched matured bonds issued after 1973 by Social Security number only. The August 2023 upgrade added name, co-owner and registration.
For 1974 and later bonds without serial numbers, Treasury issued a special FS Form 1048 with a reference number. See why Treasury Hunt is closed and what owners use instead.
How to Record and Protect Your Savings Bond Serial Numbers
Record 4 details next to each serial number and keep the list away from the bonds and off the internet. Use the 4 steps below.
- Copy every character of the serial number.
- Write the series, face value and issue month and year beside it.
- Copy the names exactly as printed, including "OR" or "POD".
- Store the list apart from the bonds, never posted online or sent to a finder.
Claims filed six years after final maturity need the serial number, and Treasury's searches for lost bonds take eleven months or longer (TreasuryDirect Contact Us, checked November 11, 2026).
Serial Numbers and Savings Bond Scams
Treasury treats the serial number like a password because "the serial number and Social Security number are the two items of information most likely to facilitate fraud" (89 FR 102735, December 18, 2024).
Claims that a birth certificate number works as a bond number are false, according to TreasuryDirect's fraud page. The calculator "will not verify whether a bond exists", and Treasury Retail Securities Services charges no fees and offers no gifts.
Our request form never asks for serial numbers. More on savings bond scams, including fake bonds and fake finders.
What to Do When You Do Not Have the Serial Number
Without the serial number, 4 situations each have their own route: a lost bond, a deceased relative's bonds, found paper bonds and electronic bonds. A bond you hold still carries its serial number in the lower right corner. The wider picture is in our guide to US savings bonds, paper and electronic.
A Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Bond
Treasury can identify a lost bond without its serial number from 4 details: the month and year of purchase, the owner's complete Social Security number, full names with middle names or initials, and the street, city and state (FS Publication 0107, Rev.
August 2022). This works until the six-year point. To find lost or missing savings bonds, start with those 4 details.
A Deceased Relative's Bonds
Heirs copy the serial numbers from a relative's paper bonds, and FS Form 5336 accepts a serial number, confirmation number or check number for each security. Savings bonds never expire (Executive Order 13968). Our guide covers the savings bonds of a deceased parent or relative and the first steps for heirs.
Old Paper Bonds You Found
A found paper bond carries its serial number in the lower right corner, so write it down before the bond goes anywhere. The steps after that are in our guide to found old savings bonds, step by step.
Electronic and Converted Bonds
Electronic savings bonds are listed inside the owner's TreasuryDirect account, and FS Form 5336 names a confirmation number as the identifier where no serial number applies.
TreasuryDirect has not published whether converted bonds keep their paper serial number. Electronic savings bonds show in the account, and you can convert paper savings bonds to electronic with the online conversion manifest, up to 50 bonds per cart.
Savings Bond Serial Number Questions
What's the serial number on a bond?
A savings bond's serial number is its unique identifier: a denomination letter, a number and a series letter, printed in the lower right corner.
Which number is the serial number on my savings bond?
The serial number is the line in the lower right corner that starts and ends with a letter. The month and year below the series is the issue date, and the date with a day in it is the print date.
Where is the serial number on EE savings bonds?
On a paper Series EE bond the serial number is in the lower right corner and ends in "EE".
How to look up savings bonds by serial number?
You cannot look up a savings bond by serial number online. Ask your bank, or as owner or co-owner send Treasury Retail Securities Services a signed letter listing the serial numbers, without the bonds.
I lost my savings bond and I don't know the serial number. What should I do?
File FS Form 1048 with 4 identifying details: purchase month and year, full Social Security number, full names and address. Six years after final maturity a claim needs the serial number, and Series I claims are barred 10 years after maturity. Use the FS Form 1048 claim for lost savings bonds with or without the serial number.
Does the serial number change what my savings bond is worth?
No: the serial number never changes a bond's value, which depends on series, face value and issue month. Two $100 EE bonds issued November 1990 are each worth $207.36 in November 2026 (Fiscal Data Savings Bonds Value Files, updated November 2, 2026). To see what is my savings bond worth, use the issue month.
Where is the serial number on a Patriot Bond?
A Patriot Bond carries its serial number in the lower right corner, like any paper Series EE bond, and the serial number ends in "EE".
Rules as of November 2026. ClaimMyBonds checks every date and rule against the source named beside it: how we check every rule and date.