Unclaimed property like baseball cards and gemstones on display

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Unclaimed property in Illinois like rare baseball cards and precious gemstones will be on display today.

Baseball cards of Cubs legend Ernie Banks and Yankees great Mickey Mantle, a 14-karat white gold ring with a 10-carat blue sapphire and 14 diamonds, and Morgan silver dollars from various years are just some of the pieces the public can preview.

“The preview we’re hosting today is a great opportunity for people to check out the items that we will be auctioning later this month during the Illinois State Fair,” said State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois.

“As Treasurer, I can’t bid on anything, but I’m sure there are a lot of baseball fans who would be excited to bid on Mickey Mantle cards from the 1960s and Ernie Banks cards from the 1950s and 1960s,” he added. “Also, if there’s someone in your life who is hard to buy gifts for, you can find something distinctive for them at the preview, and then bid for it at the auction in a couple of weeks.”

The auction preview was held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office in the Marine Bank Building, 1 East Old State Capitol Plaza, in Springfield.

Monday serves as a sneak peek at items that will be auctioned live at 11 a.m. on Saturday August 22 at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Treasurer Frerichs will serve as guest auctioneer for a few items toward the beginning of the event.

Some of the other items being auctioned include:

A vintage Alton woman’s wristwatch made of 14-karat white gold and containing 18 rubies and 16 diamonds
A 1916 McKinley gold U.S. dollar coin
A 14-karat yellow gold man’s ring containing a black star sapphire and a diamond
An Engelhard 100-ounce .999 file silver bar
A 1988 $10 Federal Reserve note with missing serial numbers and seal, known as an “error note”

A total of 250 lots with be auctioned, with some lots featuring multiple items.

The 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. 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 to identify them.