Illinois Treasurer to host unclaimed property auction at state fair
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Baseball cards featuring Hall of Famers Ryne Sandberg, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mickey Mantle are among the hot ticket collectibles that will be up for auction at the Illinois State Fair later this month.
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs will host a live unclaimed property auction on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
The state treasurer acts as the custodian of all unclaimed property, which includes overlooked bank accounts, insurance policy proceeds, unpaid rebate cards, and the contents of safe deposit boxes. Items are surrendered to the treasurer’s office after five years of failed attempts to locate the owner.
All auction proceeds will be held for the rightful owners in perpetuity.
Among the items being auctioned:
- Baseball cards featuring Ryne Sandberg and Ken Griffey Jr. as rookies, as well as cards of
- Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle, and Johnny Bench
- Basketball cards featuring Wilt Chamberlain and Walt Frazier
- A 10-ounce Johnson Matthey .9999 fine gold bar
- Nine NGC-graded Morgan silver dollars
- A U.S. large-size $2 silver certificate, series 1899
- An 18-karat yellow gold Hermes man’s chain bracelet
The items will be available for prospective bidders to preview from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. that Saturday, with the auction beginning immediately afterward.
Illinois holds more than $5 billion in unclaimed property, according to the treasurer’s office. More than $2.3 billion has been returned during Frerichs’ tenure.
State law requires the treasurer to return all missing money to its rightful owners or heirs, no matter how long it takes.
