Every 1988 Series EE savings bond is worth $103.68 per $50 of face value in November 2026, in every issue month: $207.36 for a $100 bond and $2,073.60 for a $1,000 bond.
Face value is the amount printed on the bond. A $100 bond cost $50, so it is worth 4.15 times its price; all 1988 bonds stopped earning during 2018.
Treasury's Savings Bonds Value Files change on the 1st of each month for bonds that still earn, but 1988 bonds stay flat from November 2026 to May 2027.
Values for November 2026
How Much Is a 1988 Series EE Savings Bond Worth in November 2026?
A 1988 paper Series EE bond is worth $103.68 (a $50 bond) to $20,736.00 (a $10,000 bond) in November 2026, and January and December issues are worth the same. Table 1 lists all 12 issue months; the rules of Series EE savings bonds by issue date are on our series page.
Table 1: 1988 Series EE savings bond value by issue month and face value, November 2026
| Issue month | $50 | $75 | $100 | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | Original maturity | Stopped earning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Jan 1, 2000 | Jan 1, 2018 |
| February 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Feb 1, 2000 | Feb 1, 2018 |
| March 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Mar 1, 2000 | Mar 1, 2018 |
| April 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Apr 1, 2000 | Apr 1, 2018 |
| May 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | May 1, 2000 | May 1, 2018 |
| June 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Jun 1, 2000 | Jun 1, 2018 |
| July 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Jul 1, 2000 | Jul 1, 2018 |
| August 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Aug 1, 2000 | Aug 1, 2018 |
| September 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Sep 1, 2000 | Sep 1, 2018 |
| October 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Oct 1, 2000 | Oct 1, 2018 |
| November 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Nov 1, 2000 | Nov 1, 2018 |
| December 1988 | $103.68 | $155.52 | $207.36 | $414.72 | $1,036.80 | $2,073.60 | $10,368.00 | $20,736.00 | Dec 1, 2000 | Dec 1, 2018 |
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 face/25.
Values are shown for every paper EE face value in 31 CFR 351.40; the face value is printed on your bond. Every 1988 bond has stopped earning interest, so these values are final.
How Much Is a $100 Savings Bond From 1988 Worth?
A $100 Series EE savings bond from 1988 is worth $207.36 in November 2026, whatever month of 1988 it was issued. It cost $50, so $157.36 is interest. The $207.36 is also its 30-year value, reached during 2018.
Why Every 1988 EE Bond Has Stopped Earning Interest
Every 1988 Series EE bond reached final maturity, the date interest stops, between January 1 and December 1, 2018. That is 30 years after issue (31 CFR 351.5). The four dates below mark its life.
- Issue: January to December 1988
- Original maturity: 12 years, during 2000
- Extensions: 10 and 8 years (31 CFR 351.19; derived: 2010, 2018)
- Final maturity: 30 years, during 2018; interest stops
The value is fixed, but a bond never expires (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745). See how savings bonds mature and stop earning interest.
Why Every 1988 Issue Month Has the Same Value
Every 1988 issue month has the same value because the file prices all 76 issue months from November 1986 to February 1993 at $51.84 per $25 of face value. 1988 holds months 15 to 26 of that block.
The 44 months before it are priced at $57.66 and the 26 months after at $41.03: $230.64, $207.36 and $164.12 per $100 bond.
Table 2 shows the months that share one value with 1988.
Table 2: Where 1988 sits in the November 1986 to February 1993 value block, November 2026
| Issue months | Months | $100 value, November 2026 | Guarantee, original maturity | Stopped earning | Year page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1983 to October 1986 | 44 | $230.64 | 7.5%, 10 years | Mar 2013 to Oct 2016 | 1985 Series EE savings bond value |
| November and December 1986 | 2 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Nov, Dec 2016 | 1986 Series EE savings bond value |
| January to December 1987 | 12 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan to Dec 2017 | 1987 Series EE savings bond value |
| January to December 1988 | 12 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan to Dec 2018 | this page |
| January to December 1989 | 12 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan to Dec 2019 | 1989 Series EE savings bond value |
| January to December 1990 | 12 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan to Dec 2020 | 1990 Series EE savings bond value |
| January to December 1991 | 12 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan to Dec 2021 | 1991 Series EE savings bond value |
| January 1992 to February 1993 | 14 | $207.36 | 6%, 12 years | Jan 2022 to Feb 2023 | 1992 Series EE savings bond value |
| March 1993 to April 1995 | 26 | $164.12 | 4%, 18 years | Mar 2023 to Apr 2025 | 1994 Series EE savings bond value |
Stopped-earning dates are 30 years after issue (31 CFR 351.5); terms from 31 CFR 351.19 and TreasuryDirect; month counts are our count of the value file.
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 face/25.
The 6% Guarantee and 12-Year Original Maturity of 1988 Bonds
1988 EE bonds carried a 6% guaranteed rate, compounded semiannually, for a 12-year original maturity, and earned the higher of that guaranteed value and a market-based value. The market-based value is 85% of 6-month averages of 5-year Treasury yields (31 CFR 351.20; TreasuryDirect).
Extensions began in 2000 and 2010 (31 CFR 351.21(a)(2)): 4% or the minimum in effect at the start of the period. See the savings bond interest rates by issue date.
Why 1988 Bonds Share One Value With Bonds From November 1986 to February 1993
1988 bonds share one value with every bond issued from November 1986 to February 1993 because both edges of that block line up with a change in the issue terms.
In November 1986 the terms moved from 7.5% and 10 years to 6% and 12 years; in March 1993, to 4% and 18 years (31 CFR 351.19). So 1987 and 1989 to 1992 bonds equal 1988, while 1986 and 1993 split.
How to Find the Exact Value of Your 1988 Savings Bond
Treasury prices a 1988 EE bond by its face value and issue month; you do not need the serial number. Our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, takes the same inputs. Five steps give your exact value.
- Check the bond says Series EE.
- Read the issue date on a paper savings bond: month and year, always the 1st (31 CFR 351.42).
- Read the face value.
- Find the column for your face value in Table 1; any 1988 month gives the same row.
- Check the as-of month.
A 1988 bond belongs to the last year of what Treasury's paying-agent rules call punch card or machine-readable stock (31 CFR Part 321, Appendix), so its layout may differ from a 2005 bond's.
TreasuryDirect's Savings Bond Calculator is Treasury's free tool. It gives $207.36 for a $100 December 1988 bond in November 2026, shows past months back to January 1996 and does not check ownership.
Which Savings Bonds Were Issued in 1988: Series EE and Series HH
A savings bond dated 1988 is one of 2 series: Series EE or Series HH. EE was bought at half of face; HH came at face value, only in exchange for older bonds. Every 1988 EE bond is paper. A 1988 HH bond stopped earning in 2008 (derived).
Table 3: Series EE and Series HH bonds issued in 1988
| Attribute | Series EE (1988) | Series HH (1988) |
|---|---|---|
| How it was obtained | bought for cash at half of face | only in exchange for older bonds such as E or EE (cash sales ended in 1982; 31 CFR 352.7) |
| Face values | $50 to $10,000 (8 values, 31 CFR 351.40) | $500, $1,000, $5,000, $10,000 |
| Interest | added to the bond's value | paid to the owner (Series HH savings bonds) |
| Life | 30 years (stopped Jan to Dec 2018) | 20 years: 10 + one 10-year extension (stopped 2008, derived from 31 CFR 352.2) |
| Worth in November 2026 | Table 1 ($207.36 per $100) | face value |
| Where to cash | a bank that cashes savings bonds, or FS Form 1522 by mail | Treasury only, FS Form 1522 by mail, direct deposit only, no partial cashing |
| 3-month early-cash penalty | never applied (EE May 1997 and later only) | not applicable |
Series E bonds were sold until June 1980 and Series I bonds from September 1998; a bond dated 1988 is neither. Sources: 31 CFR 351.40, 352.0, 352.2; TreasuryDirect Series HH page and timeline (as of November 11, 2026).
Cashing a 1988 Savings Bond and Reporting Its Interest
A 1988 paper EE bond is cashed at a bank that redeems savings bonds or by mail with FS Form 1522, and Treasury charges no fee. See how to cash savings bonds. Banks may cash bonds but need not (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022).
FS Form 1522 (Revised April 2026, PDF from TreasuryDirect) needs a notary or certifying officer, who confirms your signature, only when the total is above $1,000. Two $200 bonds ($829.44) need only an ID copy; one $500 bond ($1,036.80) needs it.
Mail it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150; payment by direct deposit takes 3 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026). Full steps: cash by mail with FS Form 1522.
Tax Year 2018: When Interest on a 1988 Bond Was Reportable
Interest on a 1988 bond never cashed was reportable for tax year 2018, the year of its final maturity, unless the owner reported it yearly. The rule names the year of cashing or final maturity, whichever came first, so a bond cashed before 2018 points to its cashing year (26 CFR 1.454-1(a)(1); IRS Publication 550).
The interest, $157.36 per $100 bond, is federally taxed only (31 U.S.C. 3124(a)). Ask a tax professional about a 2018 return that left it out; see federal tax on savings bond interest.
If the owner died before the bond's final maturity in 2018, the deferred 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.
The education exclusion covers only Series EE bonds issued after 1989 and Series I bonds, so 1988 bonds fail its bond test (26 U.S.C. 135; Form 8815 (2025)); see the Education Savings Bond Program and Form 8815.
Lost, Found or Inherited 1988 Bonds
A lost 1988 bond is claimed with FS Form 1048 (Revised March 2026), and the claim needs the bond's serial number. Use the FS Form 1048 claim for lost savings bonds.
The serial number is required 6 or more years after final maturity (31 CFR 353.29(c)), a point 1988 bonds passed during 2024 (derived). See the savings bond serial number. Treasury Hunt, a discontinued Treasury tool, ended September 30, 2025.
The surviving "OR" co-owner or POD (payable-on-death) beneficiary takes the bond, else the estate (31 CFR 353.70). Estates take 5 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026); see savings bonds after death. Also see found old savings bonds.
By December 1, 2021, every 1988 bond was 3 or more years past final maturity (derived), before 31 U.S.C. 3105(f) was enacted on December 29, 2022.
A State gets owners' names only under an information-sharing agreement. No State is publicly known to have one as of November 11, 2026 (89 FR 102735). See SECURE 2.0 and savings bonds.
Other Issue Years and Face Values
The same month-by-month tables exist for other issue years and face values.
- 1987 Series EE savings bond value
- 1989 Series EE savings bond value
- 1994 Series EE savings bond value
- $50 savings bond worth, all years
- $100 savings bond worth, all years
- Banks that cash savings bonds
- When to cash savings bonds
1988 Savings Bond FAQ
How much is a $200 EE savings bond from 1988 worth after 30 years?
A $200 Series EE bond from 1988 is worth $414.72 in November 2026, its final value, reached at 30 years during 2018. It cost $100 and needs no certification if mailed alone. Other years: $200 savings bond worth.
How much is a $5,000 savings bond from 1988 worth?
A $5,000 savings bond from 1988 is worth $10,368.00 in November 2026 in every issue month. It cost $2,500, leaving $7,868.00 of interest, and cashing it by mail needs a notary or certifying officer. Other years: $5,000 savings bond worth.
Is a 1988 EE bond still earning interest after 30 years?
No: a 1988 EE bond has earned nothing since its final maturity in 2018, but Treasury sets no deadline to cash it and the bond does not expire (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745). See final maturity of savings bonds.
What interest rate did a 1988 Series EE bond earn?
A 1988 Series EE bond was guaranteed 6% a year, compounded semiannually, for its first 12 years, and it earns no interest now. It reached at least face value at 12 years (2000), not 20.
How much is a savings bond from 1987 worth?
A 1987 Series EE bond is worth the same as a 1988 bond in November 2026: $103.68 per $50 and $207.36 per $100, in every issue month. See a savings bond from 1987.
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.