How much is a $50 Series EE savings bond from 1981 worth?
Official Treasury redemption values by issue month, September 2026.
savingsbondcheck.com - $50 Series EE savings bond issued 1981 - values as of September 2026 - data: U.S. Treasury
Official Treasury value file data
- A $50 Series EE savings bond issued in 1981 is worth $146.90 to $153.44 as of , depending on the issue month printed on the bond. That is the official U.S. Treasury redemption value - what a bank pays you today.
- It cost $25.00 when it was bought (paper EE bonds sold for half of face value). Everything above that is interest: up to $128.44 earned so far.
- Matured. This bond stopped earning interest and its value will not increase again. There is no deadline to cash it, but it is losing value to inflation every month it sits.
The 20-year guarantee. (None, None)
Every 1981 issue month
Savings bonds issued in different months of 1981 are worth different amounts, because each month's bond has its own rate history. Match the issue date printed on your bond to the row below.
| Issue month | Value now ($50 bond) | Status | Final maturity |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1981 | $153.44 | Matured | January 2011 |
| February 1981 | $153.44 | Matured | February 2011 |
| March 1981 | $153.44 | Matured | March 2011 |
| April 1981 | $153.44 | Matured | April 2011 |
| May 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | May 2011 |
| June 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | June 2011 |
| July 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | July 2011 |
| August 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | August 2011 |
| September 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | September 2011 |
| October 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | October 2011 |
| November 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | November 2011 |
| December 1981 | $146.90 | Matured | December 2011 |
Other Series EE 1981 denominations: $50 · $75 · $100 · $200 · $500 · $1,000 · $5,000 · $10,000
Source: U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data - Savings Bonds Value Files (v2/accounting/od/sb_value), redemption period 2026-09. Values are published per $25 of face value and scale exactly: a $50 bond is 2x the per-$25 figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a $50 savings bond from 1981 worth?
Between $146.90 and $153.44 as of September 2026, depending on the issue month printed on the bond. Find the month in the table above for the exact Series EE figure from Treasury's official value file.
What did a $50 Series EE bond cost?
$25.00.
Is a 1981 Series EE bond still earning interest?
No. Bonds from this year have reached final maturity and stopped earning. They stay redeemable at full value with no deadline.
How do I cash a $50 savings bond?
Take the paper bond and photo ID to a bank that redeems savings bonds, or mail it to Treasury with FS Form 1522. See the how-to-cash guide for what banks require and the tax forms.
All 1981 denominations and the full history: Series EE 1981 value table · every year for this denomination: $50 savings bond values · check a specific bond · how to cash it.