The U.S. government created the Series E savings bond -- initially known as the “Defense Bond” in 1941 and as “War Bond” from 1942 to 1945 -- to help pay for World War II. The Department of Treasury sold the first Series E bond to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 1, 1941. As of 2012, all the bonds issued during World War II have fully matured and are no longer earning interest. If you own a World War II savings bond, you can find its status using the Treasury Direct website.
Step 1
Go to the Savings Bond Calculator on the Treasury Direct website, which is managed by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Step 2
Select “E Bonds” from the “Series” drop-down list.
Step 3
Select the bond's face value from the “Denomination” drop-down list. Series E bonds were sold in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000.
Step 4
Enter the Series E bond’s serial number in the “Serial Number” field. If you don’t have the bond, leave this field blank.
Step 5
Enter the bond’s issue date by month and year in the corresponding field. Click the “Calculate” button to see what the bond is worth.
