A 1942 Series E savings bond is worth $94.35 to $99.95 per $25 of face value (the amount printed on the bond) in November 2026, by issue month: $377.40 to $399.80 for a $100 bond and $3,774.00 to $3,998.00 for a $1,000 bond.
Bought at 75% of face, each is worth 5.03 to 5.33 times its price. Every 1942 bond stopped earning interest in 1982, so these values are final.
Treasury's Savings Bonds Value Files give the same values in every month from November 2026 to May 2027.
Values for November 2026 (final values)
How Much Is a 1942 Series E Savings Bond Worth in November 2026?
A 1942 Series E bond is worth $94.35 (a $25 bond issued January to April) to $3,998.00 (a $1,000 bond issued in December) in November 2026. The rules of Series E savings bonds, 1941 to 1980, explain the terms.
Table 1: What a 1942 Series E savings bond (War Savings Bond) is worth in November 2026, by issue month and face value
| Issue month | $25 | $50 | $100 | $500 | $1,000 | Interest stopped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1942 | $94.35 | $188.70 | $377.40 | $1,887.00 | $3,774.00 | Jan 1, 1982 |
| February 1942 | $94.35 | $188.70 | $377.40 | $1,887.00 | $3,774.00 | Feb 1, 1982 |
| March 1942 | $94.35 | $188.70 | $377.40 | $1,887.00 | $3,774.00 | Mar 1, 1982 |
| April 1942 | $94.35 | $188.70 | $377.40 | $1,887.00 | $3,774.00 | Apr 1, 1982 |
| May 1942 | $96.00 | $192.00 | $384.00 | $1,920.00 | $3,840.00 | May 1, 1982 |
| June 1942 | $97.45 | $194.90 | $389.80 | $1,949.00 | $3,898.00 | Jun 1, 1982 |
| July 1942 | $97.45 | $194.90 | $389.80 | $1,949.00 | $3,898.00 | Jul 1, 1982 |
| August 1942 | $97.45 | $194.90 | $389.80 | $1,949.00 | $3,898.00 | Aug 1, 1982 |
| September 1942 | $97.45 | $194.90 | $389.80 | $1,949.00 | $3,898.00 | Sep 1, 1982 |
| October 1942 | $97.45 | $194.90 | $389.80 | $1,949.00 | $3,898.00 | Oct 1, 1982 |
| November 1942 | $98.40 | $196.80 | $393.60 | $1,968.00 | $3,936.00 | Nov 1, 1982 |
| December 1942 | $99.95 | $199.90 | $399.80 | $1,999.00 | $3,998.00 | Dec 1, 1982 |
Note: face values issued in 1942 are $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000 (TreasuryDirect calculator windows). Prices are 75% of face (31 CFR 316.2(b)).
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 1942 War Bond Worth Today?
A 1942 war bond is a Series E bond, and a $25 war bond from 1942 is worth $94.35 to $99.95 in November 2026; a $50 bond is worth $188.70 to $199.90. Treasury sold Series E as the War Savings Bond in 1942 to 1945; see war bonds worth now.
Why Every 1942 Bond Stopped Earning Interest in 1982
Every 1942 Series E bond reached final maturity between January 1 and December 1, 1982, 40 years after its issue month, and has stopped earning interest (31 CFR 316.8(b)). See 31 CFR Part 316.
- Issue: 1942, at 75% of face
- Original term: 10 years
- Extensions: 40-year life
- Final maturity: 1982
The value has not changed since; savings bonds mature and stop earning interest at different dates by series.
Why a December 1942 Bond Is Worth More Than a January 1942 Bond
A December 1942 bond is worth more than a January 1942 bond because each issue month reached its 40-year final maturity at a different date, and the value file prices the 12 months in five groups: $94.35 per $25 for January to April, $96.00 for May, $97.45 for June to October, $98.40 for November and $99.95 for December.
The $100 gap is $22.40. December 1941 shares the January 1942 value and December 1942 the January 1943 value.
Table 2: The five 1942 value groups and the months next to them, November 2026
| Issue months | Months | $25 value | $100 value | Interest stopped | Year page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1941 | 1 | $94.35 | $377.40 | Dec 1, 1981 | 1941 Series E savings bond value |
| January to April 1942 | 4 | $94.35 | $377.40 | Jan 1 to Apr 1, 1982 | this page |
| May 1942 | 1 | $96.00 | $384.00 | May 1, 1982 | |
| June to October 1942 | 5 | $97.45 | $389.80 | Jun 1 to Oct 1, 1982 | |
| November 1942 | 1 | $98.40 | $393.60 | Nov 1, 1982 | |
| December 1942 | 1 | $99.95 | $399.80 | Dec 1, 1982 | |
| January to April 1943 | 4 | $99.95 | $399.80 | Jan 1 to Apr 1, 1983 | 1943 Series E savings bond value |
Note: 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 1942 Bond Cost and How It Grew for 40 Years
A 1942 Series E bond cost 75% of its face value, $18.75 for a $25 bond and $75 for a $100 bond, and grew in value until 1982 (31 CFR 316.2(b)).
Series E launched May 1, 1941 at 2.9% compounded semiannually for 10 years, 1941 terms only (Treasury history, p. 12). A $100 bond is worth $302.40 to $324.80 more than its price. A 1942 bond is never Series EE.
Which Face Values Were Issued in 1942: $25 to $1,000
Treasury issued 1942 Series E bonds in 5 face values: $25, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000.
- $25: $18.75
- $50: $37.50
- $100: $75
- $500: $375
- $1,000: $750
Treasury's calculator prices no $10 bond before June 1944, no $200 before October 1945, no $10,000 before May 1952 and no $75 before May 1964, and it lists no $5,000 Series E bond.
Which Savings Bonds Were Sold in 1942: Series E, F and G
A savings bond bought in 1942 is one of 3 series: Series E (the war bond), Series F or Series G (bought at face, interest paid by check). Series F and G ran 12 years and are cashed only by mail.
Table 3: Savings bonds sold in 1942: Series E, F and G
| Attribute | Series E (War Savings Bond) | Series F savings bonds | Series G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 75% of face | 74% of face | face value |
| Face values (F and G: whole series) | $25, $50, $100, $500, $1,000 | $25 to $10,000 (7 values) | $100, $500, $1,000, $10,000 |
| Interest | added to the value | added to the value (12 years) | paid by Treasury check every 6 months (2.50%) |
| Interest stopped | 40 years after issue (1982) | 12 years after issue (1954, our calculation) | 12 years after issue (1954, our calculation) |
| Paid today | Table 1 value ($94.35 to $99.95 per $25) | face value | face plus a final $1.25 per $100 |
| Where to cash | a bank that cashes savings bonds, or FS Form 1522 by mail | FS Form 1522 by mail | FS Form 1522 by mail |
Note: Series A to D sales ended in April 1941; a bond dated 1942 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 (as of November 11, 2026).
War savings stamps, sold from 10 cents to $5, were saved in albums and exchanged for Series E bonds; a filled album has its own rules (31 CFR 316.6(c)). See savings stamps and war savings stamps.
War Bonds in 1942: The Name, the Sales and the First War Loan Drive
Series E sales reached $5,989 million at issue price in 1942, more than five times the $1,145 million of 1941 (Treasury history, Appendix III, p. 59).
After Pearl Harbor, Defense Bonds became War Bonds, informally at first and later by official order (p. 19); Treasury dates the War Bond to 1942 to 1945. The First War Loan drive ran in December 1942 (p. 26).
By 1945, more than 25 million payroll savings enrollments existed (p. 19). War Bonds funded about 18 percent of the war's debt. Series E is no longer sold (31 CFR 316.1).
How to Find the Exact Value of Your 1942 Savings Bond
Treasury prices a 1942 Series E bond by issue month and face value; neither the serial number nor the printed name changes it. Our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, prices a paper Series E bond.
- Check that the bond says Series E.
- Read the issue date on a paper savings bond: month and year, upper right.
- Ignore the validation date, lower right.
- Read the face value.
- Find the row and column in Table 1.
TreasuryDirect's calculator is Treasury's free tool and marks Series E bonds "MA" (matured). A 1942 bond has no Social Security number (31 CFR 316.2(c)(1): required from 1974).
Cashing a 1942 Savings Bond and Reporting Its Interest
A 1942 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.
Banks may cash paper bonds but need not (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022); the presenter writes a Social Security number on a bond without one (31 CFR 315.39(a)).
On FS Form 1522 (Revised April 2026), a request of $1,000 or less needs no certification, but you must sign and enclose a copy of a driver's license, passport, state ID or military ID: ten December 1942 $25 bonds, $999.50.
Above $1,000 a notary or certifying officer (an authorized officer, such as at a bank) certifies your signature: three January 1942 $100 bonds, $1,132.20, or any 1942 $500 bond.
Mail it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150; Treasury says 3 months or longer (November 11, 2026). See cash by mail with FS Form 1522.
Tax Year 1982: When Interest on a 1942 Bond Was Reportable
Interest on a 1942 bond that was never cashed became reportable for tax year 1982, the year of its final maturity, unless the owner reported it yearly or cashed the bond earlier (31 CFR 316.9; IRS Publication 550).
The interest ($302.40 to $324.80 on a $100 bond) is exempt from state and local income tax (31 CFR 316.9(a); 31 U.S.C. 3124); see federal tax on savings bond interest. Ask a tax professional about a missed year.
A deceased owner's interest is income in respect of a decedent unless reported on the final return (26 U.S.C. 691); see taxes on inherited savings bonds.
Lost, Found or Inherited 1942 Bonds
A lost 1942 bond is claimed with FS Form 1048 (Revised March 2026), and the claim needs the bond's serial number, which 31 CFR 315.29(c) requires 6 years or more after final maturity (1988 for 1942 bonds, our calculation).
The FS Form 1048 claim for lost, stolen or destroyed savings bonds is free; the savings bond serial number is on the bond. Treasury Hunt has been unavailable since September 30, 2025.
The surviving "OR" co-owner or P.O.D. (payable-on-death) beneficiary takes the bond, otherwise the estate (31 CFR 315.70); see savings bonds after death and found old savings bonds.
Treasury may share records of bonds over 3 years past final maturity with a State that has an agreement (89 FR 102735); none is publicly known as of November 11, 2026. See unclaimed savings bonds.
Other War Years and Face Values
The links below cover other war years and face values. A 1943 bond is worth $99.95 to $105.09 per $25.
- 1941 Series E savings bond value (May to December)
- 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
1942 Savings Bond FAQ
How much is a $25 war bond from 1942 worth today?
A $25 war bond from 1942 is worth $94.35 to $99.95 in November 2026, by issue month; it cost $18.75.
How much is a $50 Series E bond from December 1942 worth?
A $50 Series E bond issued in December 1942 is worth $199.90 in November 2026, the year's highest $50 value (January to April: $188.70).
Can war bonds from 1942 still be cashed in?
Yes: a 1942 war bond can be cashed at any time, with no deadline (31 CFR 315.35(c); EO 13968, 85 FR 83745); it earns nothing after 1982.
What are war savings stamps?
War savings stamps were stamps sold from 10 cents to $5 and saved in albums to exchange for a Series E bond. Sales ended June 30, 1970; see war savings stamps.
How much is a $1,000 war bond from 1942 worth?
A $1,000 war bond from 1942 is worth $3,774.00 to $3,998.00 in November 2026, final values; it cost $750.
Is a 1942 war bond worth more to a collector?
Treasury pays a 1942 war bond's redemption value, $94.35 to $99.95 per $25 in November 2026, and no collector premium. Treasury pays only a person entitled (31 CFR 315.35(a), 315.39(b)).
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.