A set of 1989 Chicago Bears pins, baseball cards of Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron, collectibles from the U.S. bicentennial celebration, and a 14-karat yellow gold Omega woman’s watch are just a few of the unclaimed property items being auctioned online from September 19 to September 28.
“Our online auction is a great opportunity for everyone to explore and find distinctive items to keep or to give as gifts,” said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois. “If you’re a sports fan, we have some great baseball, basketball and hockey cards, or if you like unique jewelry, the auction features pocket watches, pins, and other treasures.”
The online auction also features sports collectible cards of iconic baseball, basketball, and hockey players, including Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Wayne Gretzky, and Brett Hull.
Some of the other auction items include:
- Two pocket watches: an Illinois Bunn Special and a Hamilton 992B
- An 1899 U.S. $1 “Black Eagle” silver certificate
- A 10-ounce Golden State Mint .999 fine silver bar
- Three 1890 CC Morgan silver dollars
- A 14-karat yellow gold money clip with a 1924 U.S. $20 gold coin
- A 14-karat rose gold floral pin with stones
- Miscellaneous pins, including political campaign pins
- Bicentennial items: First Day Covers, medallions of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
A total of 150 lots will be auctioned, some featuring multiple items. To view auction items, go to the catalog on the HiBid website.
Prospective bidders first must sign up on HiBid and create an account. There are a couple of ways to do this. One is to go to hibid.com/ and click on “Create Account” and fill in your information. Another is to go to the catalog, scroll down, and click on “Register to Bid.” For questions, call 217.557.8567.
The online auction comes after the Treasurer’s Office’s successful in-person auction of unclaimed property during the Illinois State Fair in August. The live auction set two new records: one for the auction sales total of $374,582 and another for the auction sales amount of a single item, a 10-ounce gold bar that was auctioned for $33,500.
The State Treasurer’s Office is the custodian of unclaimed property, including lost bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, unpaid rebate cards, and the contents of safe deposit boxes. Items are surrendered to the Treasurer’s Office after private entities have tried for several years to locate the owner.
The Treasurer’s Office conducts online auctions of unclaimed property periodically throughout the year because it does not have the physical space to store the items indefinitely. Items considered for auction typically have not been touched by their owners for 10 years. All auction proceeds will be held for the rightful owners, no matter how long it takes.
An estimated one-in-four adults in Illinois who search the state’s unclaimed property website, also known as ICash, find missing money that should be returned to them. Visit the ICash website at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICash to find out if any missing money is waiting for you.
***Courtesy of The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office***
