Documents and Money Replacement

Documents are very important to your well-being and can be damaged or destroyed as a result of a fire or other disaster. The following documents should be located if at all possible.

• Birth Certificate
• Credit Cards
• Driver's Licenses
• Title to Deeds
• Bank Book
• Stocks and Bonds
• Insurance Policies
• Wills
• Military Discharge Papers
• Medical Records
• Passports
• Payment Books
• Social Security Cards
• Warranties

• Marriage Papers
• Income Tax Records
• Divorce Decree
• Auto Registration
• Citizenship Papers
• Title Cards
• Animal Registration Papers
• Prepaid Burial Contract
• Death Certificate

A good investment is a fire-proof safe that is UL rated for a minimum of 1 hour @ 1700°F. This is usually enough time for firefighters to extinguish a blaze. You will then be able to recover your preserved documents when it is deemed safe.

Money Replacement

If your U.S. Savings Bonds have been mutilated or destroyed, write to:

U.S. Treasury Department
Bureau of Loans and Currency
537 W. Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois 60605
ATTN: Bond Consultant

Include name(s) and address(s) on bonds, approximate date or time period when purchased, denominations and approximate number of each.

Mutilated currency can be mailed or personally delivered to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. A letter should accompany the submitted currency and give the estimated value of the currency and explain how the currency was mutilated. All mutilated currency should be sent by "Registered Mail, Return Receipt Requested" to: Department of the Treasury, Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Office of Currency Standards, P.O. Box 37048, Washington, D.C. 20013. Insuring the shipment is the responsibility of the sender.

The Bureau's special currency examiners are usually able to determine the value of mutilated currency when it has been carefully packed and boxed as described below:

• Regardless of the condition of the currency, DO NOT disturb the fragments any more than is absolutely necessary.

• If the currency is brittle or inclined to fall apart, pack it carefully in plastic without disturbing the fragments, and place the package in a secure container.

• If the currency was mutilated in a purse, box, or other container, it should be left in the container to protect the fragments from further damage.

• If it is absolutely necessary to remove the fragments from the container, send the container along with the currency and any other contents that may have currency fragments attached.

• If the currency was flat when mutilated, do not roll or fold the notes.

• If the currency was in a roll when mutilated, do not attempt to unroll or straighten it out.

If coin or any other metal is mixed with the currency, carefully remove it. Any fused, melted, or otherwise mutilated coins should be sent for evaluation to the: Superintendent, U.S. Mint, P. O. Box 400, Philadelphia, PA 19105.

The amount of time needed to process each case varies with its complexity and the case workload of the examiner. For cases that are expected to take longer than four weeks to process, BEP will issue a written confirmation of receipt.