SPRINGFIELD - Baseball cards featuring the late Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg and Yankees great Mickey Mantle, basketball cards of Wilt Chamberlain and Walt Frazier, and an 18-karat yellow gold Hermes man’s chain bracelet are just some of the 250 unclaimed property lots on display for the public to preview on Tuesday, August 5.
“We encourage people to come preview the items we’ll be auctioning later in the month,” said Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois. “As Treasurer, I can’t bid on anything, but I know there are plenty of Cubs fans who would love to bid on Ryne Sandberg’s rookie baseball card.”
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“This is a chance for everyday fairgoers to experience a real, live auction, make bids on an item they like, and take home something distinctive,” Frerichs added.
Potential bidders are invited to attend the auction preview from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday August 5 at the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office in the Marine Bank Building, 1 East Old State Capitol Plaza, in Springfield. Treasurer Frerichs will hold a media availability at 11 a.m.
At the preview, attendees will get a sneak peek at items that will be auctioned live at 11 a.m. on Saturday August 16 at the Lincoln Stage on the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Treasurer Frerichs will serve as guest auctioneer for a handful of items at the top of the event.
Additional items include:
- Baseball cards of Ernie Banks, Johnny Bench and a rookie Ken Griffey Jr.
- Nine NGC-graded Morgan silver dollars
- A 10-ounce Johnson Matthey .9999 fine gold bar
- A U.S. large-size $2 silver certificate, series 1899
- A silver enameled and watercolor lipstick holder and compact
- An early Illinois Fire Association horse hose wagon team race champion badge, marked as 14-karat
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.
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.
An estimated one-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. Visit the I-CASH website at www.illinoistreasurer.gov/ICASH to find out if any missing money is waiting for you.
Treasurer Frerichs Media Availability
Tuesday, August 5, 2025 Office of Illinois State Treasurer
Marine Bank Building
1 East Old State Capitol Plaza Springfield, IL 62701
Media Availability: 11 a.m.
Auction Preview: 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Live Unclaimed Property Auction
Saturday, August 16, 2025 Illinois State Fairgrounds | Lincoln Stage
801 East Sangamon Avenue | Springfield, IL
Auction Preview: 9-11 a.m.
Auction: 11 a.m.
