You mean 40 degrees? I'd say of course!
These temperature lows & high actually help seed germination!

From the 1940s? I doubt it very, very much. The USDA's "Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States" mentions typical maple seed storage life as less than five years.

Scott

I also wouldn't expect much but who knows stranger things have happened I planted a thirty year old peach pit of an old family tree that had been laying around all that time under some lumber ( the trees died of peach bores 30 years before) and it grew into a really nice heirloom tree...but I doubt you'll have success ...David

Its easy enough to soak them in warm water for a couple of days. brake a couple of them open and seed what they look like. If you don't want to try it, I'll do it if you want to send them.

I do grow maples from seed every year. I have already sown about 5000.

Ron