Old premium bonds from a friend

Payment is made by crossed warrant in the holder's name. I can't see how you would get value for it.

The certificates are essentially worthless - it's the entry on the NSI database that dictates who owns the bonds and who the money is sent to. It's non-transferable.

Has that always been the case?

Some years ago my mother-in-law gave some to our children. After some considerable time with no wins we decided to cash them in, but had mislaid the certificates. We sent in the appropriate application for lost certificates, but were told there was no record of them having been issued.

A few weeks later we came across the certificates, and sent them in to be cashed. This was done without question.

It did make me wonder whether they could have ever won anything in those circumstances.

I did wonder about this. The certificates I have are probably pre computer age. I don't know how the number is validated on the NSI website - whether there is a checksum in the number or whether they check them against a database of real numbers.

Premium Bond records were kept on computer from the very start.

They might have been, but the numbers drawn by 'Ernie' were checked manually against the records for the numbers of the bonds sold.

In message , Bob Wood writes

I dont think that is the case.

I think the original ERNIE wasn't even a computer, but a strange method of generating random signals using a tube containing a gaceous substance.

In message , Biscit writes

You are right. (Have you been reading my old posts?!! :-)

It still isnt a computer.

x-no-archive: yes

afaik, all numbers issued still go into every draw. putr yer mind at rest, cash em in, and go buy a burger. with inflation, thats probably all they are worth now!

In message , crofter writes

In fact its more than that. All possible numbers 'go in the draw' and those selected are then compared against those currently in issue. More are selected than needed to take account of those not issued or no longer inn issue.