The online auction got underway Monday and will continue through June 21.
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ACROSS ILLINOIS — Hundreds of unclaimed items will be auctioned off this week by the Illinois Treasurer’s Office.
Those interested can log onto the auction website to view, and bid on, everything from a 14-karat gold charm bracelet with eight charms to a 1783 Spanish Milled Dollar to a 1997 U.S. quarter-ounce platinum proof coin. Vending machines, a Ford pickup truck and a 2018 Freightliner Channel Truck are also up for bid.
The auction got underway Monday and will continue through June 21.
“The online auction offers a convenient way for people to shop from anywhere and find a variety of distinctive items they can add to a personal collection or give as the perfect gift,” said State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois.
Other items to be auction off include a 2001 American Buffalo proof and uncirculated silver dollars and 5-series 1928 $5 redeemable-in-gold notes in consecutive order.
A total of 100 lots will be auctioned, with each lot consisting of a single item or multiple items, according to a news release from the Illinois Treasurer’s Office.
To view auction items, visit ibid.illinois.gov and select the tab labeled “storefronts.” Scroll down and select the Illinois State Treasurer Unclaimed Property Auction and click on the tab labeled “upcoming store items.”
To be eligible to participate in the auction, prospective bidders must register with iBid, which can be done online. Then, select the tab labeled “Register now.”
The treasurer’s office is the keeper 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,” treasurer’s office officials said.
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. The office also conducts an annual, in-person auction of unclaimed property during the Illinois State Fair in August.
This year’s auction at the State Fair is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17.
An estimatedone in four adults in Illinois who search the state’s unclaimed property website, also known as I-Cash, find missing money that should be returned to them.
The average claim is $1,000. You can visit the I-Cash website to find out if any missing money is waiting for you.
