A trove of unclaimed treasures
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is set to host its annual summer auction on August 22, presenting 250 lots of property that has been idle for at least a decade and could not be returned to its original owners.
Among the highlights are a 1916 McKinley gold U.S. dollar coin, a 14‑karat white gold ring set with a blue sapphire and diamonds, and a pair of baseball cards featuring the legendary Ernie Banks and Mickey Mantle.
The collection also includes Morgan silver dollars, vintage jewelry, and a 1988 $10 Federal Reserve note that is missing its serial numbers, each expected to attract strong bids from collectors.
Items up for sale span categories such as rare coins, high‑value jewelry, and sports memorabilia, reflecting the eclectic nature of unclaimed assets that the office has accumulated through forgotten bank accounts, insurance proceeds and safe‑deposit box contents.
The auction will take place at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will serve as guest auctioneer, adding a public face to the proceedings.
Proceeds from the sale remain accessible to rightful owners should they be identified later, and the office continues to promote its I‑CASH database, which has helped one in four Illinois adults locate forgotten funds.