Patriot Bonds are paper Series EE savings bonds issued December 2001 to December 2011, and a $100 Patriot Bond is worth $54.76 to $121.00 in November 2026. The lowest value belongs to December 2011 issues, the highest to December 2001 issues.
Face value is the amount printed on the bond. All 121 issue months still earn interest, and each stops 30 years after its issue date, between December 2031 and December 2041.
ClaimMyBonds is an independent private guide to US savings bonds, not the government. "Patriot Bond" is a name printed on paper EE bonds, not one of the types of US savings bonds with rules of its own. Every value on this page comes from Treasury's published Savings Bonds Value Files for redemption month November 2026.
What Is a Patriot Bond?
A Patriot Bond is a paper Series EE savings bond printed with the words "Patriot Bond" and issued December 2001 to December 2011. TreasuryDirect's Series EE page states: "Everything about EE bonds applies to these Patriot Bonds." Each sold for half of face, in 8 face values from $50 to $10,000 (31 CFR 351.40).
No $25 Patriot Bond exists, because paper EE bonds start at $50; a $25 paper bond belongs to an older series, such as Series E or US Savings Notes. A Patriot Bond earns interest for 30 years. Its redemption value, the amount Treasury pays when you cash it, is the issue price plus accrued interest.
TreasuryDirect's historical and retired bonds page says the bonds let Americans express support for anti-terrorism efforts, with proceeds deposited into a general fund. A Patriot Bond is not a separate series: it has no rate, value table or form of its own. Table 1 sums up the Patriot Bond in 11 rows.
Table 1: Patriot Bonds at a glance
| Attribute | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Series | Paper Series EE with "Patriot Bond" inscription | TreasuryDirect EE page |
| Issue dates | December 2001 to December 2011 | TreasuryDirect historical bonds page |
| Issue price | Half of face value | 31 CFR 351.40 |
| Face values | 8 values, $50 to $10,000 | 31 CFR 351.40 |
| Interest | 90% of 5-year yields to April 2005; then fixed rate | 31 CFR 351.13, 351.34 |
| Original maturity | 17 years to May 2003 issues; 20 years after | 31 CFR 351.29, 351.34, 351.35(f) |
| Final maturity | 30 years: December 2031 to December 2041 | 31 CFR 351.5 |
| Redemption value | Issue price plus accrued interest | TreasuryDirect historical bonds page |
| Earning in November 2026 | Yes, all 121 issue months | Savings Bonds Value Files |
| Cashing | Bank that pays EE bonds, or FS Form 1522 by mail | 31 CFR 321.7(a); FS Form 1522 |
| Tax | Federal income tax yes; state and local no | 26 U.S.C. 454; 31 U.S.C. 3124 |
Sources: TreasuryDirect historical and retired bonds page and Series EE page; 31 CFR part 351 (eCFR); checked November 11, 2026.
How to Recognize a Patriot Bond: Series, Issue Date and Inscription
Three printed facts identify a Patriot Bond: series "EE" in the upper right corner, an issue date from December 2001 to December 2011 below it, and the words "Patriot Bond". The issue date is the first day of the month the issuing agent received payment (31 CFR part 351).
The issue date sets the value. The print date, a second date below it, does not. It shows when the bond was printed and can differ after a reissue or replacement (FS Publication 0022, Rev. October 2022). The serial number sits in the lower right corner. The Patriot Bond name appears only on paper bonds.
How Patriot Bonds Earn Interest: Two Series EE Rate Rules by Issue Date
Patriot Bonds earn interest under 2 of the 4 Series EE rate rules, and the issue date decides which one. Bonds issued December 2001 to April 2005 earn 90% of 5-year Treasury yields. Bonds issued May 2005 to December 2011 keep a fixed rate set at issue.
Interest is added monthly and compounded every 6 months. A bond's value changes only on the first day of a month (31 CFR 351.3), and Treasury announces EE rates each May 1 and November 1. No single "Patriot Bond interest rate" exists: each issue period has its own rate.
Patriot Bonds Issued December 2001 to April 2005: 90% of 5-Year Treasury Yields
Patriot Bonds issued December 2001 to April 2005 earn 90% of the 6-month average of 5-year Treasury yields (31 CFR 351.13, 351.30). Treasury resets the rate each May 1 and November 1, and each bond takes it at the start of its next 6-month period.
For periods starting on or after November 1, 2026, the rate is 4.02%. These 41 issue months reach final maturity between December 2031 and April 2035. For the years after original maturity, TreasuryDirect's May 1997 through April 2005 page says: "we use the same method unless we announce a different method."
Patriot Bonds Issued May 2005 to December 2011: A Fixed Rate Set at Issue
Patriot Bonds issued May 2005 to December 2011 keep the fixed rate Treasury announced for their 6-month issue period (31 CFR 351.34, 351.35).
Each one is among the savings bond interest rates by issue date that Treasury announces each May 1 and November 1. The fixed-rate rule took effect May 1, 2005 (70 FR 17288, April 5, 2005). The 14 fixed rates of these 80 issue months are listed below.
- May to October 2005: 3.50%; November 2005 to April 2006: 3.20%
- May to October 2006: 3.70%; November 2006 to April 2007: 3.60%
- May to October 2007: 3.40%; November 2007 to April 2008: 3.00%
- May to October 2008: 1.40%; November 2008 to April 2009: 1.30%
- May to October 2009: 0.70%; November 2009 to April 2010: 1.20%
- May to October 2010: 1.40%; November 2010 to April 2011: 0.60%
- May to October 2011: 1.10%; November and December 2011: 0.60%
Treasury may change the rate or method for the last 10 years of the 30-year life. It must announce that before the bond is 20 years old (May 2005 and later page).
No such announcement appears on TreasuryDirect as of November 11, 2026, although May 2005 to November 2006 issues have passed 20 years. The 2.90% rate for new electronic EE bonds does not apply to Patriot Bonds.
When Do Patriot Bonds Mature? 17 or 20 Years to Face Value, 30 Years to Final Maturity
Every Patriot Bond is worth at least face value at original maturity, after 17 or 20 years, and stops earning interest 30 years after its issue date.
Final maturity falls between December 1, 2031 and December 1, 2041 (31 CFR 351.5). Original maturity is 17 years for December 2001 to May 2003 issues and 20 years for June 2003 to December 2011 issues.
At original maturity, a paper EE bond is worth at least double its purchase price, and for a paper bond that equals face value. The 20-year point applies only to EE bonds issued June 2003 and later.
The 18 Patriot issue months from December 2001 to May 2003 reached their guarantee after 17 years, between December 2018 and May 2020. The rules on when savings bonds mature and stop earning interest compare every series.
Table 3 lists both maturity points for each Patriot issue period.
Table 3: Patriot Bond maturity by issue date
| Issue dates (issue months) | Original maturity | Original maturity dates | Final maturity (interest stops) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2001 to May 2003 (18) | 17 years | Dec 2018 to May 2020; reached | Dec 2031 to May 2033 |
| Jun 2003 to Apr 2005 (23) | 20 years | Jun 2023 to Apr 2025; reached | Jun 2033 to Apr 2035 |
| May 2005 to Nov 2006 (19) | 20 years | May 2025 to Nov 2026; reached | May 2035 to Nov 2036 |
| Dec 2006 to Apr 2007 (5) | 20 years | Dec 2026 to Apr 2027; above face already | Dec 2036 to Apr 2037 |
| May 2007 to Dec 2011 (56) | 20 years | May 2027 to Dec 2031; below face now | May 2037 to Dec 2041 |
Note 1: the first two rows earn 90% of 5-year Treasury yields; the last three keep a fixed rate set at issue.
Sources: 31 CFR 351.5, 351.29, 351.34, 351.35(f); Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Savings Bonds Value Files, redemption month November 2026.
In November 2026, all 121 Patriot issue months still earn interest. Of these, 60 issue months (December 2001 to November 2006) have passed original maturity, and December 2006 issues reach it on December 1, 2026.
No Patriot Bond has reached final maturity, so none is among the 82,673,787 matured Series EE bonds that Fiscal Data counted as not yet cashed on September 30, 2026. That figure counts bonds, not dollars. No deadline applies to cashing a savings bond (Executive Order 13968, 85 FR 83745).
Patriot Bonds Still Worth Less Than Face Value (May 2007 to December 2011 Issues)
In November 2026, Patriot Bonds issued May 2007 to December 2011, 56 issue months, are worth less than face value. Each reaches face at its 20-year original maturity, between May 2027 and December 2031 (31 CFR 351.35(f)(1)). A $100 Patriot Bond in this group is worth $54.76 (December 2011 issues) to $96.44 (May 2007 issues).
A $100 bond issued May 2007 is worth $96.44 in November 2026; Treasury's current value file schedules $100.00 from May 1, 2027. A bond below face has not lost value: it cost half of face and has earned interest since.
What Patriot Bonds Are Worth by Issue Year (November 2026)
A $100 Patriot Bond is worth $54.76 to $121.00 in November 2026: $121.00 for December 2001 issues and $54.76 for December 2011 issues. By rate rule, December 2001 to April 2005 issues are worth $105.80 (April 2005) to $121.00, and May 2005 to December 2011 issues $54.76 to $106.00 (May 2006). All still earn interest.
Scale the $100 figure for other faces: a $50 Patriot Bond is worth $27.38 to $60.50, a $1,000 Patriot Bond $547.60 to $1,210.00. The figures on how much a $50 savings bond is worth also cover Series E.
Table 4 gives the $100 value for each issue year, from the lowest to the highest issue month.
Table 4: Value of a $100 Patriot Bond in November 2026, by issue year
| Issue year | Rate rule | Below face in November 2026 | $100 Patriot Bond, November 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 90% of 5-year yields | No | $121.00 (December 2001 only) |
| 2002 | 90% of 5-year yields | No | $118.12 to $120.68 |
| 2003 | 90% of 5-year yields | No | $111.12 to $117.80 |
| 2004 | 90% of 5-year yields | No | $107.00 to $110.80 |
| 2005 | 90% of 5-year yields (Jan to Apr); fixed (May to Dec) | No | $102.96 to $106.72 |
| 2006 | Fixed rate | No | $101.80 to $106.00 |
| 2007 | Fixed rate | May to December issues | $87.84 to $101.48 |
| 2008 | Fixed rate | All issues | $63.00 to $87.64 |
| 2009 | Fixed rate | All issues | $56.48 to $62.96 |
| 2010 | Fixed rate | All issues | $55.08 to $62.96 |
| 2011 | Fixed rate | All issues | $54.76 to $59.24 |
Value of a $100 Patriot Bond (paper Series EE) in November 2026, by issue year; the 2001 row covers December 2001 only. Other face values: a $50 bond is worth half, a $1,000 bond ten times as much. Values change on the 1st of each month. 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 a $100 bond are the file's $25-unit value times 4.
The issue month's rate, not age alone, sets a Patriot Bond's value. A $100 bond issued May 2006 (fixed 3.70%) is worth $106.00, more than an April 2006 bond (3.20%) at $101.88.
A June 2003 bond is worth $113.00 and a May 2003 bond $117.56, a gap that follows the 17-year guarantee ending with May 2003 issues. Each value rises or holds on the 1st of each month.
How to Look Up the Value of One Patriot Bond
Three facts printed on a Patriot Bond give its value: the series (EE), the face value and the issue month. Enter them in our savings bond calculator, built on Treasury's published Value Files, and select Series EE. The serial number is not needed.
Treasury's free Savings Bond Calculator prices paper Series EE, I and E bonds and Savings Notes; choose EE for a Patriot Bond. It also shows rates, the next accrual date, total interest and past values back to January 1996. It does not check whether you own a bond.
Values change on the 1st of each month, so check which month a value applies to. Patriot Bonds exist only on paper, so no TreasuryDirect account value applies.
How to Cash a Patriot Bond: At a Bank or by Mail
A Patriot Bond is cashed like any paper Series EE bond: at a bank that chooses to pay it, or by mail to Treasury with FS Form 1522. The routes for how to cash savings bonds are the same for every series.
Four points on banks, mail, timing and conversion are listed below.
- Banks: a bank may pay EE bonds (31 CFR 321.7(a)) but need not (FS Publication 0022) and may not charge a fee (321.23(c)); policies on what banks cash savings bonds differ.
- Mail: FS Form 1522 (Rev. April 2026) goes to Treasury Retail Securities Services, Treasury's savings bond office, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150. A notary or certifying officer signs only above $1,000 total. Requests in your name take 3 months or longer (as of November 11, 2026).
- Timing: every Patriot Bond is more than 5 years old, so no 3-month interest penalty applies; when you can cash savings bonds matters only for younger bonds.
- Conversion: cashing does not require you to convert paper savings bonds to electronic through SmartExchange; TreasuryDirect states that paper bonds can be cashed just as they are.
Treasury pays a Patriot Bond only to its owner or another person entitled to it (31 CFR 353.39(b)). Bonds are not transferable and cannot be pledged (353.15, 353.16).
Federal Tax on Patriot Bond Interest
Patriot Bond interest is federally taxable for the year you cash the bond or it reaches final maturity, whichever is first, unless reported yearly (26 U.S.C. 454). It is exempt from state and local income tax (31 U.S.C. 3124).
A December 2001 Patriot Bond not cashed earlier reports its interest for 2031, its final-maturity year (IRS Publication 550). For a bond that reached final maturity in an earlier year, that earlier year is the year the rule names.
Patriot Bonds can qualify for the education exclusion (IRC 135, Form 8815) when the owner was 24 or older before the issue date, the bonds are cashed in the same tax year as qualified higher-education expenses and the return is not married filing separately.
For tax year 2026 the exclusion phases out at modified AGI of $101,800 to $116,800 (single) and $152,650 to $182,650 (joint) (Rev. Proc. 2025-32 sec. 4.17). A tax professional advises on your return; the rules on federal tax on savings bond interest explain reporting.
What Owners and Heirs Do With Patriot Bonds
Owners and heirs take 5 steps with a Patriot Bond: read it, value it, note its maturity dates, follow the survivor or estate route, and claim a missing bond. The 5 steps are numbered below.
- Read the issue date, face value and names: "OR" marks co-owners, "P.O.D." a payable-on-death beneficiary (31 CFR 353.5, 353.7). This also applies to found old savings bonds.
- Look up the value in Table 4 or our calculator.
- Note both maturity dates in Table 3.
- Follow the survivor or estate route for savings bonds after death if the owner died.
- Claim a lost, stolen or destroyed bond with FS Form 1048 (Rev. March 2026).
Keeping or cashing a Patriot Bond that still earns interest is the owner's decision.
Patriot Bonds and the Other Special Savings Bond Designations
Three printed designations sit on bonds of an existing series: Patriot Bond (Series EE), Gulf Coast Recovery Bond (Series I), and the Defense and War Savings Bonds (Series E). None is a series of its own, so each bond follows the rules and values of its series and issue month.
Patriot Bonds vs Other Series EE Bonds
A Patriot Bond differs from a plain paper EE bond of the same issue month only in its inscription. Rate, maturity, value and cashing rules are the same: a $100 Patriot Bond and a $100 plain EE bond issued May 2006 are both worth $106.00 in November 2026.
Paper EE bonds without the inscription carry issue dates from January 1980 to December 2011, under 4 rate rules. The rules for Series EE savings bonds include the older issues.
Gulf Coast Recovery Bonds: The Series I Designation
Gulf Coast Recovery Bonds are paper Series I bonds with a special designation, issued March 29, 2006 to September 30, 2007. They sold at face value, not half of face, and earn for 30 years.
Their value follows the Series I rules for their issue month. The rules for Series I savings bonds set how they earn and how they are cashed.
War Bonds: The Series E Designation
War bonds are Series E bonds sold as the Defense Savings Bond in 1941 and the War Savings Bond from 1942 to 1945. Each is worth the same as any Series E bond of the same issue month and face.
Every Series E bond stopped earning interest by June 2010, so a war bond's value no longer changes. The values of war bonds are frozen, while every Patriot Bond still earns.
Patriot Bond FAQ
What Is the Maturity Date for Patriot Bonds?
Patriot Bonds reach final maturity 30 years after issue: December 1, 2031 for December 2001 issues to December 1, 2041 for December 2011 issues. Original maturity comes after 17 or 20 years. No Patriot Bond has reached 30 years, so every one still earns interest.
What Is My Patriot Bond Worth?
A Patriot Bond is worth $54.76 to $121.00 per $100 of face value in November 2026, depending on its issue month. Table 4 gives the range for each issue year from 2001 to 2011.
Can You Still Buy Patriot Bonds?
No. Patriot Bonds were paper EE bonds issued until December 2011, and paper EE sales ended January 1, 2012 (76 FR 66855). Patriot Bonds already issued keep earning interest until final maturity.
Where Is the Serial Number on a Patriot Bond?
The serial number is printed in the lower right corner of the bond's face. A value lookup does not need the savings bond serial number, and ClaimMyBonds does not ask for it.
How Much Is a $50 Patriot Bond Worth?
A $50 Patriot Bond is worth $27.38 (December 2011 issues) to $60.50 (December 2001 issues) in November 2026. Every $50 Patriot Bond issued May 2007 or later is still below its $50 face value.
Is There a Patriot Bond Value Chart?
No. Treasury publishes no Patriot Bond value chart. Its Savings Bonds Value Files give each issue month's value as data, and Table 4 turns them into a $100 table by issue year for November 2026.
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.