The World’s Oldest Active Bond: How A 1624 Investment Still Pays Interest

A lot can change in a day, month, or even a year, right? And what about hundreds of years? Certainly, such a long period can literally turn everything around. But what if we told you there’s an investment that has been repaying the investor for 400 years? As crazy as it may sound, it's actually true.  

There’s a bond that’s been paying interest for such a long time. And it officially holds a Guinness World Record, too.

Let’s unfold the story of the world’s oldest active bond, which is still paying interest.

When Was The World’s Oldest Active Bond Issued?

The world’s oldest bond that is still paying interest was issued in 1624 by the Hoogheemraadschap Lekdijk Bovendams (NLD), a local Dutch water authority, to fund its repairs

Over 50 bonds were issued to raise about 23,000 Carolus guilders (Dutch gold and silver coins), but the only surviving one is a 1,200-guilder bond that was sold on December 10, 1624

The guilder was the official Dutch currency from the 15th century until the year 2002, after which the Euro replaced it.

Who Had Invested In That Bond?

This bond was sold to a wealthy woman named Elsken Jorisdochter in Amsterdam. In return for her invested money, the Dutch water board had promised her (and her descendants) 2.5% interest in perpetuity

In simple terms, perpetual bonds are bonds that can keep paying interest to the investor for an infinite period, until the issuer itself calls back the bonds at a particular date

Coming back to the bond issued to Elsken Jorisdochter in 1624, that remains the world’s oldest active bond till date. Although the bond issuer ‘Hoogheemraadschap Lekdijk Bovendams’ no longer exists as a water board, its assets and liabilities (including those specified in the 1624 bond) were passed on to its successor organisation ‘Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden’, which was created in 1994

Who Holds The World’s Oldest Active Bond Currently?

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the current owner of this bond. But how did NYSE end up becoming this bond’s owner? Well, the 1624 bond ended up in the NYSE’s possession due to a Dutch-American banker called Albert Andriesse, who was a board member of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

Andriesse himself had acquired the perpetual bond at an auction, around the 19th to the 20th century. Before that, the bond was being passed on to the various generations of the original owner for over 300 years. Then in 1938, Albert eventually donated it to the NYSE,  as a gesture of friendship

How Much Interest Does The Bond Still Pay?

In 2024, when the world’s most active bond completed exactly 400 years, it paid approximately €13.6 in annual interest.

The NYSE had reportedly collected €299.42 of interest upon the bond’s 400th birthday in2024. This owed interest was collected for the first time in more than two decades

Conclusion

The story of the world’s oldest active bond is more than a historical curiosity. Issued in 1624, it shows how clearly defined obligations, stable institutions, and predictable income structures can endure across centuries. Even after wars, currency changes, and institutional restructuring, the bond continues to do exactly what it promised, pay interest.

This extraordinary example highlights why bonds have long been seen as instruments of stability rather than speculation. While modern investing looks very different from the 17th century, the core principle remains unchanged: reliable cash flows and disciplined structures matter, especially over long time horizons.

For today’s investors, bonds may not last 400 years, but they still play a critical role in balancing portfolios and generating predictable income. If you’re looking to understand how fixed-income instruments can fit into a modern investment strategy, platforms like Grip Invest help investors explore curated bond and securitised debt opportunities with clear visibility into risk and returns.

FAQs On World Oldest Bond

1. What is the world’s oldest active bond?
The world’s oldest active bond was issued in 1624 by a Dutch water authority and is still paying interest today.

2. What is a perpetual bond?
A perpetual bond is a bond with no maturity date that continues to pay interest indefinitely unless the issuer redeems it.

3. Who owns the world’s oldest bond today?
The bond is currently owned by the New York Stock Exchange after being donated in 1938.

4. How much interest does the 1624 bond pay now?
As of 2024, the bond pays roughly €13–14 annually, with accumulated interest collected periodically.

5. Do modern bonds work like this today?
While modern bonds have fixed maturities, the principle of predictable income and contractual stability remains central to bond investing.

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