Assume you have input element:
Then launch js script:
var e =
The "defaultValue" property is only maintained in a way you apparently expect for "text", "file", and "password" fields.
Here is the relevant portion of the DOM spec.
I suspect the reason for this is that user activity on its own cannot change the value of hidden elements. If you want to preserve the initial values, run something at "load" or "ready" to stash the value somewhere.