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.
References
Resources
Tips
- The Treasury Direct website has a searchable database, but it only contains information on Series E bonds issued after 1974.
- To find out if someone redeemed a particular World War II bond, email the U.S. Department of Treasury. Include the bond’s serial number, issue date, denomination and the owner’s Social Security number.
- If you inherited a savings bond, you’ll also have to provide a copy of the original owner’s death certificate.
Writer Bio
Angela M. Wheeland specializes in topics related to taxation, technology, gaming and criminal law. She has contributed to several websites and serves as the lead content editor for a construction-related website. Wheeland holds an Associate of Arts in accounting and criminal justice. She has owned and operated her own income tax-preparation business since 2006.