Illinois e-News Release

November 21, 2025

Video available here.

Auction catalog available here.

As the holiday season approaches, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is encouraging people to find memorable gifts, including a vintage Mickey Mouse wristwatch and a 14-karat yellow gold pendant with a small diamond, during an online ICash auction November 21-30.

“Our online auction is a wonderful opportunity to discover rare and memorable finds, either for yourself or for that special someone who will appreciate them as gifts,” said State Treasurer Frerichs, whose office oversees unclaimed property in Illinois. “You won’t even need to leave the comfort of your own home to bid on them.”

The U.S. Mint may have stopped making pennies this month, but you can still add historic one-cent pieces to your collection. Available to the highest bidder are “Flying Eagle” coins from the 1850s and Abraham Lincoln “wheat pennies.”

Some of the other auction items include:

A total of 150 lots will be auctioned, with some lots consisting of multiple items. You can view all auction items in the catalog on the HiBid website. 

Prospective bidders first must sign up on HiBid and create an account. There are a couple of ways to do this. One is to go to hibid.com/ and click on “Create Account” and fill in your information. Another is to go to the catalog, scroll down, and click on “Register to Bid.” For questions, call 217.557.8567.

The State 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. 

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 Treasurer’s Office also holds an in-person auction of unclaimed property during the Illinois State Fair in August. The 2025 in-person auction set two new records: for the auction sales total of $374,582 and for the auction sales amount of a single item, a 10-ounce gold bar that sold for $33,500. 

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. 

An estimated one-in-four adults in Illinois who search the state’s unclaimed property website, also known as ICash, find missing money that should be returned to them. Visit the ICash website at https://icash.illinoistreasurer.gov/ to find out if any missing money is waiting for you.

The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is a powerful economic engine that invests in people to drive prosperity, development and growth throughout the state. As State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs (FRAIR’iks) is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $60 billion. The investments help families pay for college and trade school; workers save for a dignified retirement; and local governments process bill payments more efficiently so they can pass along the savings to taxpayers.  The office provides financial institutions with money to loan to farmers, small business owners, and qualified individuals at below-market rates because better jobs create stronger communities. The office operates the state’s largest consumer-protection initiative, the missing money ICash program, which has returned a record-breaking $2.4 billion since Frerichs was elected. 

For more news about the State Treasurer’s Office, please sign up for our newsletter and follow Treasurer Frerichs on Instagram at IL Treasurer, Threads @iltreasurer, LinkedIn and on Facebook at Invested in You – Treasurer Michael Frerichs.