The serial number on a paper U.S. savings bond is located in the lower right corner of the bond certificate. It typically appears as a combination of letters and numbers and serves as a unique identifier for the bond. This serial number is important for record-keeping, verification, and redemption purposes

. For paper bonds, the serial number helps track ownership and manage the bond, especially if the physical bond is lost or destroyed. It is also used when entering bond information into tools like the TreasuryDirect Savings Bond Calculator or when verifying the bond's validity at financial institutions

. In contrast, electronic savings bonds do not have a traditional serial number. Instead, each electronic bond is assigned a sequential "issue confirmation number" used for identification in electronic records. This number appears on the Current Holdings list in TreasuryDirect accounts but is not the same as the paper bond serial number

. Summary:

• Paper savings bonds: Serial number is in the lower right corner of the bond certificate

• Electronic savings bonds: No serial number; use an issue confirmation number instead

This distinction is important for managing and verifying bonds depending on whether they are in paper or electronic form.