How much is a $500 Series E savings bond from 1978 worth?
Official Treasury redemption values by issue month, September 2026.
savingsbondcheck.com - $500 Series E savings bond issued 1978 - values as of September 2026 - data: U.S. Treasury
Official Treasury value file data
- A $500 Series E savings bond issued in 1978 is worth $2,133.40 to $2,569.00 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 $375.00 when it was bought. Everything above that is interest: up to $2,194.00 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.
Every 1978 issue month
Savings bonds issued in different months of 1978 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 ($500 bond) | Status | Final maturity |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1978 | $2,569.00 | Matured | January 2008 |
| February 1978 | $2,569.00 | Matured | February 2008 |
| March 1978 | $2,170.80 | Matured | March 2008 |
| April 1978 | $2,170.80 | Matured | April 2008 |
| May 1978 | $2,133.40 | Matured | May 2008 |
| June 1978 | $2,138.80 | Matured | June 2008 |
| July 1978 | $2,139.40 | Matured | July 2008 |
| August 1978 | $2,139.40 | Matured | August 2008 |
| September 1978 | $2,139.40 | Matured | September 2008 |
| October 1978 | $2,139.40 | Matured | October 2008 |
| November 1978 | $2,159.60 | Matured | November 2008 |
| December 1978 | $2,165.40 | Matured | December 2008 |
Other Series E 1978 denominations: $25 · $50 · $75 · $100 · $200 · $500 · $1,000 · $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 $500 bond is 20x the per-$25 figure.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a $500 savings bond from 1978 worth?
Between $2,133.40 and $2,569.00 as of September 2026, depending on the issue month printed on the bond. Find the month in the table above for the exact Series E figure from Treasury's official value file.
What did a $500 Series E bond cost?
$375.00.
Is a 1978 Series E 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 $500 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 1978 denominations and the full history: Series E 1978 value table · every year for this denomination: $500 savings bond values · check a specific bond · how to cash it.