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PHOTOS: War bonds being held by the Maine Office of the State Treasure, which is looking for the owners (the names and bond numbers are blurred out, for privacy purposes). Several unclaimed war bonds are among the $290,000,000 worth of unclaimed property the state is holding for residents. (Submitted photos)
AUGUSTA — Maine Treasurer Henry Beck is seeking help finding owners of Series E, defense/war-era bonds that the Office of the Treasurer is holding as part of its unclaimed property safekeeping program.
The physical bonds were received by the office from abandoned safe deposit boxes at Maine financial institutions and were issued between May 1941 and June 1980 as defense bonds. They have maturities of 30 to 40 years and may be redeemed by the named holder.
“As we approach Veterans Day honoring those who have served in defense of democracy and freedom, we remember that the American people stepped up to support our armed forces by buying war savings bonds,” Beck said. “Our office has been safekeeping these bond documents for decades and now we need your help to find the rightful owners who supported our country and our troops.”
Unclaimed Property is money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner can’t be located after a specified period of time of inactivity. It includes items such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, unpaid wages, stocks and dividends and refunds.
The state treasurer also receives the contents of about 100 safe deposit boxes each year. Safe deposit boxes are presumed abandoned when the property and proceeds remain unclaimed by the owner for more than three years after the lease or rental agreement expires. (Some of the bonds the office is holding may have been redeemed if the owner thought they were lost, and requested a reissue from the U.S. Treasury Dept.)
Every year, tens of millions of dollars go unclaimed by Maine residents, turned over by thousands of national and local businesses and organizations by law, MRSA Title 33, Chapter 45: Maine Revised Unclaimed Property Act. The treasurer’s office holds them, free of charge, until they are claimed by an owner or heir. The state is currently holding more than $290,000,000 in unclaimed property. Visit maineunclaimedproperty.gov to search for your name in unclaimed property.
