A 1941 Series E savings bond is worth $90.59 to $94.35 per $25 of face value (the amount printed on the bond) in November 2026, by issue month. That is $362.36 to $377.40 for a $100 bond. Every 1941 Series E bond stopped earning interest in 1981, so these values are final.
Series E went on sale May 1, 1941, so 1941 has 8 issue months. Bought at 75% of face, each bond is now worth 4.83 to 5.03 times its price. Treasury's Savings Bonds Value Files show them through May 2027.
Values for November 2026 (final values)
How Much Is a 1941 Series E Savings Bond Worth in November 2026?
A 1941 Series E bond is worth $90.59 (a $25 bond issued in May) to $3,774.00 (a $1,000 bond issued in December) in November 2026.
The rules of Series E savings bonds, 1941 to 1980, explain the pricing. Issue month and face value alone set the value, and a bond dated January to April 1941 is Series D, not Series E.
Table 1: What a 1941 Series E savings bond (Defense Savings Bond) is worth in November 2026, by issue month and face value
| Issue month | $25 | $50 | $100 | $500 | $1,000 | Interest stopped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1941 | $90.59 | $181.18 | $362.36 | $1,811.80 | $3,623.60 | May 1, 1981 |
| June 1941 | $91.96 | $183.92 | $367.84 | $1,839.20 | $3,678.40 | Jun 1, 1981 |
| July 1941 | $91.96 | $183.92 | $367.84 | $1,839.20 | $3,678.40 | Jul 1, 1981 |
| August 1941 | $91.96 | $183.92 | $367.84 | $1,839.20 | $3,678.40 | Aug 1, 1981 |
| September 1941 | $91.96 | $183.92 | $367.84 | $1,839.20 | $3,678.40 | Sep 1, 1981 |
| October 1941 | $91.96 | $183.92 | $367.84 | $1,839.20 | $3,678.40 | Oct 1, 1981 |
| November 1941 | $92.86 | $185.72 | $371.44 | $1,857.20 | $3,714.40 | Nov 1, 1981 |
| December 1941 | $94.35 | $188.70 | $377.40 | $1,887.00 | $3,774.00 | Dec 1, 1981 |
Note: face values issued in 1941 are $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000 (TreasuryDirect calculator windows). Prices are 75% of face (31 CFR 316.2(b)). Series E went on sale May 1, 1941, and every 1941 Series E bond stopped earning interest in 1981, so these values are final.
Source: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Savings Bonds Value Files (Fiscal Data, dataset 015-BFS-2014Q3-094, updated November 2, 2026), redemption month November 2026. Values for each face value are the file's $25-unit value times the face value divided by 25; Series E values have not changed since final maturity.
How Much Is a 1941 Defense Savings Bond Worth Today?
A 1941 Defense Savings Bond is a Series E bond, and a $25 Defense bond from 1941 is worth $90.59 to $94.35 in November 2026. Treasury calls Series E "the 'Defense Bond' of 1941, the 'War Bond' of 1942-45" (TreasuryDirect Volunteer Program page).
Which name a December 1941 bond carries is not established in Treasury's published sources, and no name changes the value. See war bonds worth now year by year.
Why Every 1941 Bond Stopped Earning Interest in 1981
Every 1941 Series E bond reached final maturity between May 1 and December 1, 1981, 40 years after its issue month, and has stopped earning interest (31 CFR 316.8(b)).
- Issue: May to December 1941, at 75% of face
- Original term: 10 years at 2.9%
- Extensions: a 40-year life
- Final maturity: May 1 to December 1, 1981
See when savings bonds mature and stop earning interest for each series.
The Four 1941 Value Groups and the Lowest Series E Values on File
The 8 issue months of 1941 fall into four value groups: May at $90.59 per $25, June to October at $91.96, November at $92.86 and December at $94.35. December 1941 shares its value with January to April 1942.
May to November 1941 are the 7 lowest-valued of all 470 Series E issue months in the value file, and May 1941 is the lowest. On a $100 bond, December is worth $15.04 more than May.
Table 2: The four 1941 value groups and the months after them, November 2026
| Issue months | Months | $25 value | $100 value | Interest stopped | Year page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1941 (first Series E month) | 1 | $90.59 | $362.36 | May 1, 1981 | this page |
| June to October 1941 | 5 | $91.96 | $367.84 | Jun 1 to Oct 1, 1981 | |
| November 1941 | 1 | $92.86 | $371.44 | Nov 1, 1981 | |
| December 1941 | 1 | $94.35 | $377.40 | Dec 1, 1981 | |
| January to April 1942 | 4 | $94.35 | $377.40 | Jan 1 to Apr 1, 1982 | 1942 Series E savings bond value |
Note: May to November 1941 are the seven lowest-valued of the 470 Series E issue months in the value file. Values never fall from one issue month to the next between May 1941 and December 1945.
Source: Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Savings Bonds Value Files (Fiscal Data, dataset 015-BFS-2014Q3-094, updated November 2, 2026), redemption month November 2026. Values for each face value are the file's $25-unit value times the face value divided by 25; Series E values have not changed since final maturity.
What a 1941 Bond Cost: The Original 10-Year Terms at 2.9%
A 1941 Series E bond cost 75% of its face value: $18.75 for a $25 bond and $75 for a $100 bond. On the original 1941 terms it reached face value in 10 years at 2.9% compounded semiannually, before Treasury extended it to 40 years (History of the Savings Bond, p. 12).
Interest is paid only inside the redemption value (31 CFR 315.30), and a $100 bond is worth $287.36 to $302.40 more than it cost.
Which Face Values Were Issued in 1941: $25 to $1,000
Treasury issued 1941 Series E bonds in 5 face values: $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000. Each sold at 75% of face, as listed below.
- $25 bond: $18.75
- $50 bond: $37.50
- $100 bond: $75
- $500 bond: $375
- $1,000 bond: $750
Treasury's calculator lists no $10 Series E before June 1944, no $200 before October 1945 and no $10,000 before May 1952.
Which Savings Bonds Were Sold in 1941: Series D, E, F and G
A savings bond bought in 1941 is one of 4 series: Series D (sold January to April 1941), Series E (from May 1941), and Series F or Series G (both from May 1941). D, F and G are paid at face today, and G adds a final $1.25 per $100.
A Series D dated January or February 1941 earned interest free of federal income tax (TreasuryDirect old bonds page); the face payments follow 31 CFR 315.35(b), (d).
Table 3: Savings bonds sold in 1941, Series D, E, F and G
| Attribute | Series A, B, C and D savings bonds (D) | Series E (Defense Savings Bond) | Series F and G savings bonds (F) | Series G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold in 1941 | January to April | May to December | from May | from May |
| Price | 75% of face | 75% of face | 74% of face | face value |
| Face values | $25 to $1,000 (5 values) | $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 | $25 to $10,000 (7 values) | $100, $500, $1,000, $10,000 |
| Term | 10 years | 40 years (extended) | 12 years | 12 years, 2.50% paid by check every 6 months |
| Paid today | face value | $90.59 to $94.35 per $25 (Table 1) | face value | face plus a final $1.25 per $100 |
| Federal tax on interest | none for issues through February 1941 | taxable | taxable | taxable |
| How TreasuryDirect lists cashing | FS Form 1522 by mail | a financial institution that cashes savings bonds, or FS Form 1522 by mail | FS Form 1522 by mail | FS Form 1522 by mail |
Note: a bond dated 1941 is never Series EE, which began in January 1980. Sources: 31 CFR 316.2(b); 31 CFR 315.35(b), (d); TreasuryDirect historical and retired bonds page and old bonds page (as of November 11, 2026).
Postal Savings Stamps became Defense Savings Stamps in May 1941, and people saved them in albums to exchange for Series E bonds. A filled album has its own rule (31 CFR 316.6(c)); see savings stamps and war savings stamps.
The First Series E Year: Defense Bonds on Sale From May 1, 1941
Treasury put Series E on sale on May 1, 1941, after President Roosevelt announced it on April 30, 1941. It sold $1,145 million of Series E bonds at issue price that year and $5,989 million in 1942, more than five times as much (History of the Savings Bond, pp. 12, 59).
No one can buy Series E today: the over-the-counter offer ended December 31, 1979, and payroll plans June 30, 1980 (31 CFR 316.1).
How to Find the Exact Value of Your 1941 Savings Bond
Treasury prices a 1941 Series E bond by its issue month and face value; the serial number and the name printed on it do not change the value. Our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, does the lookup.
- Check that the bond says Series E (January to April 1941 is Series D).
- Read the issue date on a paper savings bond, upper right (31 CFR 316.2(c), (d)).
- Ignore the validation date, lower right.
- Read the face value.
- Find the row and column in Table 1.
A 1941 bond carries no Social Security number, which bonds issued from January 1, 1974 require (31 CFR 316.2(c)(1)).
Cashing a 1941 Savings Bond and Reporting Its Interest
A 1941 Series E bond is cashed at a financial institution that cashes savings bonds or by mail with FS Form 1522, and Treasury charges no fee. See how to cash savings bonds.
On FS Form 1522 (Revised April 2026), $1,000 or less needs no certification: ten December 1941 $25 bonds total $943.50. Above that, a notary or certifying officer (an authorized signer such as at a bank) must certify your signature: three May 1941 $100 bonds total $1,087.08, and any $500 or $1,000 bond.
Mail the form to the address below; Treasury says 3 months or longer (November 11, 2026). See cash by mail with FS Form 1522.
Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Tax Year 1981: When Interest on a 1941 Bond Was Reportable
Interest on a 1941 bond that was never cashed became reportable for tax year 1981, the year of its final maturity, unless the owner reported it earlier (31 CFR 316.9; 26 U.S.C. 454; IRS Publication 550). See federal tax on savings bond interest.
Income in respect of a decedent applies only if the owner died before the bond's final maturity, which for 1941 bonds fell between May and December 1981 (31 CFR 316.9(b)).
After that, the interest was the owner's income for 1981. See taxes on inherited savings bonds; ask a tax professional how to treat a year never reported.
Lost, Found or Inherited 1941 Bonds
A lost 1941 bond is claimed with FS Form 1048 (Revised March 2026), and the claim needs the bond's serial number. Treasury entertains no claim filed 6 years or more after final maturity without the savings bond serial number (31 CFR 315.29(c)). 1941 bonds passed that point in 1987 (our calculation).
The FS Form 1048 claim for lost, stolen or destroyed savings bonds is free; Treasury Hunt has been unavailable since September 30, 2025.
The surviving co-owner joined by "OR", or the payable-on-death (POD) beneficiary, takes the bond; otherwise the estate does (31 CFR 315.70). See savings bonds after death or found old savings bonds.
Treasury may share records of bonds over 3 years past final maturity with a State that has an agreement; none is publicly known as of November 11, 2026 (89 FR 102735). See unclaimed savings bonds.
Other War Years and Face Values
The same month-by-month tables exist for the other war years and face values, listed below. A 1942 bond is worth $94.35 to $99.95 per $25 in November 2026.
- 1942 Series E savings bond value
- 1943 Series E savings bond value
- 1944 Series E savings bond value
- 1945 Series E savings bond value
- $25 savings bond worth (all years)
- $50 savings bond worth
- $100 savings bond worth
- $500 savings bond worth
- $1,000 savings bond worth
1941 Savings Bond FAQ
How much is a 1941 war bond worth today?
A $25 war bond from 1941 is worth $90.59 to $94.35 in November 2026, by issue month. It cost $18.75 as a Defense Savings Bond.
How much is a $100 savings bond from May 1941 worth?
A $100 Series E bond issued in May 1941 is worth $362.36 in November 2026, the lowest $100 Series E value of any issue month.
Can a 1941 war bond still be cashed in?
Yes: a 1941 war bond can be cashed at any time, and no deadline applies (31 CFR 315.35(c); EO 13968, 85 FR 83745). It earns nothing more after 1981.
Do 1941 war bonds have any value to collectors?
Treasury pays a 1941 war bond's redemption value, $90.59 to $94.35 per $25 in November 2026, and no collector premium. It pays only the registered owner or another person entitled (31 CFR 315.39(b)).
Was there a $10,000 war bond in 1941?
No: in 1941 the largest Series E bond was $1,000, worth $3,623.60 to $3,774.00 in November 2026. Treasury's calculator lists a $10,000 Series E only from May 1952.
What were Defense Savings Stamps?
Defense Savings Stamps were stamps sold from May 1941 at 10 cents to $5 and saved in albums to exchange for a Series E bond. Sales ended June 30, 1970; see Defense Savings Stamps.
Claiming from Treasury and from state programs costs nothing, and the forms are free. Found bonds you cannot cash, or a relative's bonds? ClaimMyBonds is a private company, not the government; we can help with the paperwork, tracing and follow-up.