Although War Bonds are no longer sold, let us pretend that an investor bought a war bond and held it until it matured in ten years. The bond was purchased for $75, which was a decrease from the bond’s $100 face value. The investor keeps the bond for ten years and receives no interest payments during that time. When the bond matures, the investor cashes it in and receives the $100 face value.
What is the current value of a war bond?
The United States Treasury offers a useful tool for calculating the value of your bonds. The bond’s series type (EE, E, I, or Savings Notes), denomination, and issue date must all be included. You can also provide the serial number of the bond. The bond’s total value, original issue price, total interest earned, and final maturity date will then be calculated by the calculator.
Let’s look at an example to see how much these bonds might be valued. Assume you own a $500 Series E bond issued in May 1941. That bond would be worth $1,811.80 today (January 2021) if it had generated $1,436.80 in interest, according to the calculator. You’ll also discover that it was purchased for $375 and matured in May 1981.
When was the last time you bought a war bond?
When full employment collided with rationing during World War II, war bonds were considered as a mechanism to remove money from circulation while also reducing inflation.
They were originally known as Defense Bonds and were issued by the United States government.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the name was changed to War Bonds.
The bonds, known as debt instruments, were issued to fund military operations during wartime and yielded only 2.9 percent after a 10-year maturity.
During World War II, living in the United States on a median income meant earning around $2,000 per year.
Despite the difficulties of the war, 134 million Americans were invited to buy war bonds to help pay it.
Stamps, which start at ten cents each, can also be purchased to contribute to the bond.
Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau sold President Franklin D. Roosevelt the first Series ‘E’ US Savings Bond.
The bonds were sold for 75% of their face value in denominations ranging from $25 to $10,000, with some restrictions.
The war bonds were essentially a loan to the government to aid in the financing of the war effort.
The War Finance Committee was in charge of overseeing the sale of all bonds, while the War Advertising Council encouraged people to acquire bonds voluntarily.
The combined efforts of the two groups resulted in the most advertising ever created in the United States.
The public was constantly exhorted to acquire bonds in the sake of defending American liberty and democracy, as well as as safe havens for investment.
Advertising was used to make an emotional appeal to the population.
Despite the fact that the bonds paid a lower rate of return than the market, they constituted a moral and financial investment in the war effort.
The commercials began on the radio and in newspapers, and then expanded to include magazines in order to reach a wider audience.
The bond campaign was unique in that commercials were made by both the government and private enterprises.
Those that donated advertising space believed they were contributing even more to the war effort; others created their own war bond advertisements to show their patriotism.
To improve its appeal to Americans, the government enlisted the help of New York’s greatest advertising agencies, well-known entertainers, and even recognizable comic strip characters.
The New York Stock Exchange advised buyers not to cash in their bonds in their marketing.
During the first three years of the National Defense Savings Program, more than a quarter of a billion dollars in advertising was contributed.
Massive advertising campaigns made advantage of every available medium, and the campaign was a big success.
The word traveled swiftly; within only one month, polls showed that 90% of individuals polled were aware of war bonds.
Bonds became the ideal way for citizens at home to contribute to the nation’s defense.
To boost the advertising’s impact, Bond rallies were hosted across the country with well-known celebrities, generally Hollywood movie stars.
Free movie days were conducted in theaters across the country, with the purchase of a bond serving as entry.
Greer Garson, Bette Davis, and Rita Hayworth, among others, undertook seven tours in more than 300 cities and villages to support war bonds.
The “Stars Over America” bond blitz, which included 337 celebrities, exceeded its quota and collected $838,540,000 in bonds.
One promotional cardboard featured 75 quarter slots, totaling $18.75.
When it was full, it could be returned to the post office for a $25 war bond with a 10-year maturity.
With their own advertisements, local clubs, organizations, movie theaters, and hotels contributed as well.
Then there was the Civilian D-Day on June 6th, 1944, when tens of thousands of advertisements were dropped from the sky over Chicago in an attempt to catch the attention and hearts of potential donors.
Girl Scouts got engaged as well, with each scout providing one stamp.
These stamps, which cost 10 cents each, were then exchanged for war bonds through a nationwide organization.
In 1941, Norman Rockwell designed a series of pictures that became the focal point of war bond marketing. The Saturday Evening Post reprinted and distributed them, much to the delight of the public. While Norman Rockwell was the most well-known war bond artist, Irving Berlin was the most well-known composer. He wrote a song called “Any Bonds Today?” that became the theme song for the Treasury Department’s National Defense Savings Program. He is best known for his song “God Bless America.” The Andrew Sisters were one of the most well-known performers of this classic song.
A 16-hour marathon radio broadcast on CBS, during which approximately $40 million in bonds were sold, was one of the most successful single events.
Kate Smith, known for her rendition of “God Bless America,” performed during the marathon.
Purchases of war bonds could demonstrate patriotism and the spirit of sacrifice.
The war bond endeavor drew in millions of people.
The sports world contributed as well, with special football and baseball games featuring a war bond as the ticket fee.
The New York Yankees, New York Giants, and Brooklyn Dodgers played an odd baseball game in New York City.
In the same nine-inning contest, each side came to bat six times.
The Dodgers won 5 to 1 against the Yankees and 0 to 0 against the Giants, giving the US government $56,500,000 in war bond sales.
The last earnings from the Victory War Bond campaign were transferred into the US Treasury on January 3, 1946, at the end of World War II.
More than 85 million Americans, or half the population, bought $185.7 billion in bonds.
Those astounding achievements, thanks to mass selling initiatives that helped fund the war, have never been equaled since.
The Series E bond was phased out on June 30, 1980, and the Series EE bond took its place, making the War Bond a thing of the past.
How do I go about purchasing war bonds?
Purchase Series EE paper war bonds imprinted with “Patriot Bond” from your local financial institution. The owner’s full name and Social Security number, the address where the bond will be delivered, the kind of ownership, the bond denomination, and the purchaser’s name, address, phone number, and signature are all required.
What is the current value of a World War II war bond?
The United States Treasury’s savings bond website includes a fantastic, user-friendly “Savings Bond Calculator” that will determine the value of your bonds for you. It will value U.S. Treasury E, EE, and I bonds, as well as savings notes.
If your bonds are Series E bonds, which were used to fund World War II, the calculator estimates that they are worth at least $3,600 each, for a total of more than $43,000 USD.
You don’t say how you got them, but before you start licking your chops, consider the tax implications of redeeming these bonds.
Did the United States repay its war bonds?
These bonds may be purchased by the general public out of a sense of patriotism or other emotional attraction. War bonds are sold at a discount and mature to face value after a period of 10 to 30 years, despite the fact that they do not pay interest.
Is there any value in German war bonds?
Bonds like the ones unearthed by Smerilli were issued by a cash-strapped German government struggling to pay restitution costs following WWI. Hyperinflation was depreciating the mark at the time, and Germany’s economy was on the verge of collapse.
Photographs of individuals carrying wheelbarrows full of cash that was scarcely worth the paper it was printed on appeared in German newspapers.
Smerilli discovered bonds in a variety of denominations that describe a sequence of interest payments in the form of tear-off interest coupons that can be cashed at particular times.
A 50,000-mark bond issued in 1922 is among Smerilli’s holdings. The interest was never collected because the redeemable tear-away portions of the documents remained intact. Of course, the bond was likely worthless anyway due to the depreciation of the German currency at the time. Germans were using money as wallpaper by 1923. Their money has to be replaced at some point.
“They’re unique in that the coupons were never clipped,” Barber explained. “As a result, whomever put them away knew they wouldn’t be of any use. I’d be interested in purchasing them, but not for a high price.”
Smerilli has no idea who placed the bonds in the safe. The former owner of the house, according to neighbors, was a notorious hoarder, but another owner did serve in WWII, although it’s unclear whether he was the one who buried the bonds within the safe.
Whatever the case may be, Smerilli insists he will not sell them and is open to proposals.
“Who knows, maybe the right guy will show up with a briefcase, and we can take it from there,” he said.
Are war bonds and savings bonds the same thing?
- The federal government issued Series E Bonds in 1941, during World War II, with face amounts ranging from $18.75 to $10,000 and a 10-year maturity.
- A government’s proposal to fund military activities and spending by issuing debt for public purchase is known as a war bond.
- After WWII, Series E Bonds were turned into savings bonds and were replaced by Series EE or “Patriot Bonds” in 1980.
What was the purpose of selling war bonds?
During World War II, the US government spent $300 billion, or more than $4 trillion in today’s money. The majority of the funds had to be borrowed. The government issued savings bonds to fund the war. A savings bond is a mechanism for an American citizen to invest money by leasing it to the government; after a set length of time, the bond can be redeemed, or cashed in, with interest. Savings bonds sold to pay for the war were dubbed “war bonds” by the public.
War bonds had been sold to fund the United States’ participation in World War I, but World War II necessitated the government to borrow unprecedented sums of money. During the war, 85 million Americans bought bonds for a total of more than $180 billion. Children took part by purchasing little denomination stamps. “Bond drives” were organized by school and community groups. At rallies to sell bonds, celebrities appeared, and even record labels displayed reminders to buy war stamps and bonds.
Savings bonds also contributed to the war effort in another way. Because everyone was working now, everyone had money to spend, which was something that many people didn’t have during the Depression. However, supplies were scarce. Prices could have soared if people had battled for scarce items. The government kept inflation low during the war by convincing Americans that it was their patriotic duty to buy war bonds.