SPRINGFIELD — A silver Faberge picture frame; a $500 bill from 1934; and vintage baseball cards of Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Ron Santo and “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks are among the pieces of unclaimed property that will be auctioned on Aug. 20 at the Illinois State Fair. The auction, which involves thousands of items with an estimated worth of more than $200,000, will take place on the Lincoln Stage at the fairgrounds in Springfield.
“We are excited to host the unclaimed property auction at the 2022 Illinois State Fair and to provide the public with an opportunity to bid on valuable and collectible items,” said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property.
Frerichs personally will auction some of the items at the beginning of the event. The auction is at 11 a.m. at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, 801 E. Sangamon Ave., Springfield.
The auction preview begins at 9 a.m.
Other auction items include a 100-ounce Engelhard silver ingot; rings, watches, and jewelry; and separate collections of memorabilia honoring musical legends The Beatles and basketball legend Michael Jordan. The Beatles collection includes trading cards, magazines and campaign-style buttons featuring each of the four Beatles: John, Paul, George and Ringo. The Jordan collection includes highlight reels, a bronze medallion and trading cards that reflect his years with the Chicago Bulls, as well as his brief time playing professional baseball.
The unclaimed property items have been divided into 250 lots for the auction. A full list of unclaimed property auction items is here.
Live Auction August 20, 2022 Illinois State Fairgrounds | Lincoln Stage 801 East Sangamon Avenue | Springfield, IL Auction Preview: 9-11 a.m.
Auction: 11 a.m.
The treasurer’s office is the custodian of unclaimed property including overlooked and forgotten bank accounts, unpaid life insurance policies, unpaid rebate cards, and the contents of safe deposit boxes. Items typically are turned over to the treasurer’s office after they go untouched for five years. The treasurer’s office actively tries to return the items. Items considered for auction typically have been with the office for 10 years. All auction proceeds will be held for the rightful owners.
About the Illinois Treasurer As Illinois State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs (FRAIR'-iks) is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $52 billion. The portfolio includes $27 billion in state funds, $16 billion in retirement and college savings plans and $9 billion on behalf of local and state governments. Frerichs’ office protects consumers by safeguarding more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property, encouraging savings plans for college or trade school, increasing financial education among all ages, assisting people with to save while preserving government benefits, and removing barriers to a secure retirement. The Treasurer’s Office predates Illinois incorporation in 1818. Voters in 1848 chose to make it an elected office.