A $50 Series EE savings bond issued in 1996 is worth $62.62 to $64.32 in November 2026, and a $100 bond $125.24 to $128.64, depending on the issue month. Bonds issued January to November 1996 have reached 30 years and stopped earning interest. The December 1996 issue earns one last credit on December 1, 2026.
These values come from Treasury's Savings Bonds Value Files for redemption month November 2026. Values can change only on the 1st of a month.
Values for November 2026
How Much Is a 1996 Series EE Savings Bond Worth in November 2026?
A 1996 paper Series EE savings bond is worth $62.62 (a $50 bond issued January to April) to $12,864.00 (a $10,000 bond issued November) in November 2026. Paper EE bonds sold for half of face value (the amount printed on the bond). Every 1996 bond is paper; electronic EE began in 2002.
Table 1 lists every issue month and face value. The rules of Series EE savings bonds by issue date set these values.
Table 1: What a 1996 paper Series EE savings bond is worth in November 2026, by issue month and face value
| Issue month | $50 | $75 | $100 | $200 | $500 | $1,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | Earning interest? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1996 | $62.62 | $93.93 | $125.24 | $250.48 | $626.20 | $1,252.40 | $6,262.00 | $12,524.00 | Stopped Jan 1, 2026 |
| February 1996 | $62.62 | $93.93 | $125.24 | $250.48 | $626.20 | $1,252.40 | $6,262.00 | $12,524.00 | Stopped Feb 1, 2026 |
| March 1996 | $62.62 | $93.93 | $125.24 | $250.48 | $626.20 | $1,252.40 | $6,262.00 | $12,524.00 | Stopped Mar 1, 2026 |
| April 1996 | $62.62 | $93.93 | $125.24 | $250.48 | $626.20 | $1,252.40 | $6,262.00 | $12,524.00 | Stopped Apr 1, 2026 |
| May 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped May 1, 2026 |
| June 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped Jun 1, 2026 |
| July 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped Jul 1, 2026 |
| August 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped Aug 1, 2026 |
| September 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped Sep 1, 2026 |
| October 1996 | $63.48 | $95.22 | $126.96 | $253.92 | $634.80 | $1,269.60 | $6,348.00 | $12,696.00 | Stopped Oct 1, 2026 |
| November 1996 | $64.32 | $96.48 | $128.64 | $257.28 | $643.20 | $1,286.40 | $6,432.00 | $12,864.00 | Stopped Nov 1, 2026 |
| December 1996 | $63.30 | $94.95 | $126.60 | $253.20 | $633.00 | $1,266.00 | $6,330.00 | $12,660.00 | Yes, until Dec 1, 2026 |
Note: the table shows every paper EE face value in 31 CFR 351.40; the face value is printed on your bond. January to November issues have stopped earning interest, so their values are final. The December row rises on December 1, 2026 (see Table 2).
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.
How Much Is a $50 or $100 Savings Bond From 1996 Worth?
A $50 savings bond from 1996 is worth $62.62 (January to April issues), $63.48 (May to October), $64.32 (November) or $63.30 (December) in November 2026. A $100 bond is worth $125.24, $126.96, $128.64 or $126.60. December values rise on December 1, 2026.
Which 1996 EE Bonds Have Stopped Earning Interest
11 of the 12 issue months of 1996 have stopped earning interest: January to November 1996 bonds reached final maturity from January 1 to November 1, 2026. Final maturity is 30 years after issue (31 CFR 351.5).
- January to April: stopped January 1 to April 1, 2026
- May to November: stopped May 1 to November 1, 2026
- December: earning until December 1, 2026
A stopped value stays fixed, and no deadline to cash exists (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745). See when savings bonds stop earning interest.
December 1996 Bonds: One Last Interest Credit on December 1, 2026
A December 1996 bond is worth $126.60 per $100 in November 2026, $2.04 less than a November 1996 bond ($128.64), because its last interest credit comes on December 1, 2026, the day it reaches 30 years. It is then worth $128.64 and stops earning.
TreasuryDirect states that these bonds add interest only 2 times a year, so a bond cashed between credit dates gives up that period's interest.
Table 2 shows each face value before and after the credit.
Table 2: A December 1996 Series EE bond before and after its last credit
| Face value | November 2026 | From December 1, 2026 | Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $63.30 | $64.32 | $1.02 |
| $75 | $94.95 | $96.48 | $1.53 |
| $100 | $126.60 | $128.64 | $2.04 |
| $200 | $253.20 | $257.28 | $4.08 |
| $500 | $633.00 | $643.20 | $10.20 |
| $1,000 | $1,266.00 | $1,286.40 | $20.40 |
| $5,000 | $6,330.00 | $6,432.00 | $102.00 |
| $10,000 | $12,660.00 | $12,864.00 | $204.00 |
Note: Treasury's current value file schedules the December 1, 2026 value and shows no change after it through May 2027, because the bond reaches final maturity that day.
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.
The Rules Behind 1996 EE Bonds: Six-Month Credits and a 17-Year Original Maturity
1996 bonds earn under the rules for EE bonds issued May 1995 to April 1997: a short-term rate for 5 years, then a long-term rate, with interest added every 6 months. Both rates follow Treasury market yields (31 CFR 351.24 to 351.28).
Original maturity, when the guaranteed value reached face value, came after 17 years (January to December 2013); one 13-year extension ran to 30. Past rates: savings bond interest rates by issue date.
Why 1996 Values Sit on Three Levels
1996 final values sit on three levels, because bonds issued in the same six-month block share one value path (our reading of Treasury's six-month rule and the value file). Each announced rate applies to 6-month periods starting on or after its date.
The file shows $31.31 per $25 of face for January to April issues, $31.74 for May to October and $32.16 for November, the final value of every issue from December 1996 to April 1997.
How to Find the Exact Value of Your 1996 Savings Bond
Treasury prices a 1996 EE bond by its face value and issue month; the serial number is not needed. Our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published value files, uses both.
- Check for Series EE.
- Read the issue date on a paper savings bond: month and year.
- Read the face value.
- Find the row and face column in Table 1.
- Check the as-of month: November 2026.
TreasuryDirect's savings bond calculator is Treasury's free tool.
How 1996 Values Compare With 1995 and 1997 Issues
1996 values connect to the years on either side. January to April 1996 issues equal November and December 1995 issues ($125.24 per $100 bond), and the November 1996 value ($128.64) is the final value of every issue from December 1996 to April 1997.
Table 3: What a $100 EE bond issued May 1995 to December 1997 is worth in November 2026
| Issue months | $100 value, November 2026 | Status | Year page |
|---|---|---|---|
| May to October 1995 | $123.56 | Stopped 2025 | 1995 Series EE savings bond value |
| November and December 1995 | $125.24 | Stopped Nov and Dec 2025 | 1995 |
| January to April 1996 | $125.24 | Stopped Jan to Apr 2026 | This page |
| May to October 1996 | $126.96 | Stopped May to Oct 2026 | This page |
| November 1996 | $128.64 | Stopped Nov 1, 2026 | This page |
| December 1996 | $126.60 | Earns until Dec 1, 2026, then $128.64 | This page |
| January to April 1997 | $126.60 | Earns until Jan 1 to Apr 1, 2027, then $128.64 | 1997 Series EE savings bond value |
| May to December 1997 | $128.04 to $129.84 | Earns until 2027; newer rules | 1997 |
Note: the 3-month interest penalty for cashing within 5 years applies only to EE bonds issued May 1997 and later (31 CFR 351.31, 351.51(b)); it never applied to 1996 bonds.
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.
Cashing a 1996 Savings Bond and Reporting Its Interest
A 1996 paper EE bond is cashed at a bank that redeems savings bonds or by mail with FS Form 1522, and Treasury charges no fee. A bank may cash it but is not required to (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022); see how to cash savings bonds.
FS Form 1522 (Revised April 2026, PDF from TreasuryDirect) needs no signature certification up to $1,000: a $500 November 1996 bond ($643.20 in November 2026) needs only an ID copy. Above $1,000, sign before a notary or certifying officer.
Mail it to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150; requests for bonds in your name take 3 months or longer (TreasuryDirect, as of November 11, 2026). Steps: cash by mail with FS Form 1522.
Tax Year 2026: When Interest on a 1996 Bond Is Reportable
Interest on a 1996 bond that was never cashed is reportable for tax year 2026, the year of its final maturity, unless the owner reported it every year (26 CFR 1.454-1(a)(1); IRS Publication 550).
The rule names the earlier of the cashing year or final maturity year, and every 1996 bond reaches final maturity in 2026. Interest on a $100 bond bought for $50 is $75.24 (January to April issues) to $78.64 (November and December, final value). Ask a tax professional about federal tax on savings bond interest.
When a bond is cashed, interest of $10 or more is reported in box 3 of Form 1099-INT for savings bonds.
Lost, Found or Inherited 1996 Bonds, and 1996 HH Bonds
A lost 1996 bond is claimed with FS Form 1048, and from 2032 a claim needs the serial number.
A claim filed 6 years or more after final maturity needs it (31 CFR 353.29(c)), for 1996 bonds January to December 2032 (our calculation). The FS Form 1048 claim for lost, stolen or destroyed savings bonds is Rev. March 2026.
After an owner's death, a bond goes to the surviving "OR" co-owner or POD (payable-on-death) beneficiary, else the estate (31 CFR 353.70(b)(1), (c)(1)). Heirs follow savings bonds after death; see who pays the tax on the interest.
A 1996 bond that paid interest every 6 months is Series HH, which stopped earning in 2016 (our calculation); only Treasury cashes Series HH savings bonds.
Other Issue Years and Face Values
Value tables for other issue years and face values are listed below.
- 1995 Series EE savings bond value
- 1997 Series EE savings bond value
- 1998 Series EE savings bond value
- $50 savings bond worth (all years)
- $100 savings bond worth (all years)
- $500 savings bond worth
- Banks that cash savings bonds
1996 Savings Bond FAQ
How much is a $100 savings bond from 1996 worth after 30 years?
A $100 savings bond from 1996 is worth $125.24 to $128.64 once it reaches 30 years, and the December issue gets there on December 1, 2026.
Is it worth keeping a 1996 EE bond?
A 1996 EE bond issued January to November no longer earns interest, so keeping it does not raise its value. The December 1996 bond adds its last credit on December 1, 2026; see when to cash savings bonds.
Did 1996 EE bonds double in 20 years?
No: 1996 EE bonds reached original maturity after 17 years, January to December 2013, not 20. The 20-year point applies to EE bonds issued June 2003 and later.
Can I look up 1996 savings bonds by Social Security number?
No online search by Social Security number exists: Treasury Hunt, Treasury's former tool, has not been available since September 30, 2025 (TreasuryDirect). An owner or heir claims a missing bond with FS Form 1048; see how to find lost or missing savings bonds.
How much is a $50 savings bond from 1986 worth?
A $50 Series EE bond issued in 1986 is worth $103.68 to $115.32 in November 2026, and it stopped earning in 2016. See the 1986 Series EE savings bond values by month.
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.