On a paper savings bond, the serial number is printed in the lower right corner of the certificate. For an electronic bond, log in to TreasuryDirect and open the bond entry under your holdings; the serial number appears there along with the issue date, face amount, and current value. That number is the unique alphanumeric code Treasury assigned to your specific bond, and you’ll need it to check the bond’s value, report interest, or file a claim if the certificate is ever lost.
Where to Look on a Paper Bond
For Series EE and Series I paper bonds, the serial number sits in the lower right corner of the certificate.1TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Calculator – Detailed Instructions Older Series E bonds use a similar layout, with the number in the lower portion of the face.
The series letters (“EE” or “I”) are printed separately in the upper right corner. That marking is not the serial number, and confusing the two is the most common reason a Treasury calculator or bank lookup returns an error.
Paper bonds have not been sold at banks or other financial institutions since January 1, 2012, so most surviving certificates are decades old.2TreasuryDirect. Treasury to End Over-the-Counter Sales of Paper U.S. Savings Bonds Fading, water damage, and general wear can make the printed number hard to read. If you still hold paper bonds, write the serial number down somewhere separate from the certificate, or convert the bonds to electronic form through TreasuryDirect.
What a Savings Bond Serial Number Looks Like
The serial number follows a set pattern: one or more letters showing the denomination, a string of digits, and then one or more letters showing the series.3TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Valuation and Verification for Financial Institutions Instruction Sheet A Series I bond, for example, ends with the letter “I.” When you enter the number into the Treasury’s Savings Bond Calculator or a bank’s verification system, it has to match this letter-digits-letter format exactly.
The format also helps spot a bond that has been tampered with. Financial institutions cashing bonds are told to check that the serial number is in the correct format and that the certificate does not appear altered.3TreasuryDirect. Savings Bond Valuation and Verification for Financial Institutions Instruction Sheet If a bond you’ve inherited or been given shows smudged ink, a mismatched typeface, or characters that don’t fit the expected pattern, contact TreasuryDirect before trying to cash it.
Finding the Serial Number in TreasuryDirect
Electronic bonds have no physical certificate; every detail lives in your online account.4TreasuryDirect. Convert Paper to Electronic To find the serial number, log in to TreasuryDirect, open the Account Summary page, and select Savings Bonds to see your holdings.5TreasuryDirect. User Guide Sections 131 Through 140 Clicking an individual bond shows the serial number, issue date, face amount, and current value.
If you converted paper bonds into electronic form, the original serial numbers carry over into your account. You can reference the same number when you request a reissue, update registration details, or report information to the IRS.6TreasuryDirect. Changing Information About EE or I Savings Bonds (Reissuing)
If You Don’t Know the Serial Number
A missing serial number is not the end of the road. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service keeps records indexed by the owner’s Social Security number and can search for bonds using that information along with an approximate purchase date or date range.7TreasuryDirect. Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds
To open a claim, use FS Form 1048, Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds. The form asks for:
- Bond details, including issue date or date range, face amount, the serial number if you have it, and the full inscription (names, Social Security numbers, and addresses on the bond).
- Circumstances of the loss: whether the bond was lost, stolen (with the date of theft), or destroyed (with any remaining fragments sent along with the form).
- Each required signer’s signature in ink before a notary or certifying officer, certifying under penalty of perjury that the information is true.
Mail the completed form to Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.7TreasuryDirect. Claim for Lost, Stolen, or Destroyed United States Savings Bonds Processing takes at least seven months, so plan around that timeline if you’re counting on the funds.8TreasuryDirect. Contact Us
Old tax records are sometimes suggested as a way to recover a serial number, but the IRS Form 1099-INT used to report savings bond interest does not include it. The form lists only the payer and the interest amount. Purchase receipts and bank statements showing the original debit are more useful, because they may reference the specific bond bought.
Serial Numbers on a Deceased Owner’s Bonds
If you’re handling bonds that belonged to someone who died, how you get to the serial number depends on the format and on how the estate is being settled.
For paper bonds, the number is right on the certificate. A court-appointed representative of an open estate submits the unsigned bonds with a death certificate, proof of appointment, and either FS Form 1522 (to redeem the bonds to the estate) or FS Form 1455 (to distribute specific bonds to heirs).9TreasuryDirect. Court-Appointed Representatives For a closed estate or one settled under a state small-estate provision, use FS Form 5394 instead, along with the final account, decree of distribution, or small-estate affidavit.
For electronic bonds, you cannot log in to the deceased person’s TreasuryDirect account. Contact TreasuryDirect first; they will place a hold on the account and tell you what documentation to send.10TreasuryDirect. Death of a Savings Bond Owner Where the bonds were registered with a named beneficiary or co-owner, that person may be able to claim them without a full estate proceeding.
A CUSIP Is Not a Serial Number
If you also hold marketable Treasury securities (bills, notes, or bonds), you’ll see a nine-character CUSIP number attached to each one.11TreasuryDirect. Marketable Securities Glossary for TreasuryDirect Account Holders The CUSIP identifies the entire issue, so every investor who bought the same Treasury note at the same auction shares it. A savings bond serial number identifies your single bond and no one else’s. If a form or lookup asks for a serial number, a CUSIP will not substitute.