HARRISBURG – The largest auction of unclaimed property in the history of the Pennsylvania Treasury Department begins on Wednesday, Oct. 30, featuring jewelry, coins, currency and collectibles, according to Treasurer Stacy Garrity.
The three-day online auction will take place Wednesday, Oct. 30; Thursday, Oct. 31; and Friday, Nov. 1, and will feature 5,700 items previously stored in Treasury’s vault. The majority of Treasury’s items are included in the Oct. 30 lots.
“I’m thrilled to announce this huge upcoming auction – the biggest ever for Treasury and our auctioneer partners, Pook & Pook,” Garrity said. “Some truly unique items will be available, so I encourage everyone to take a look. We spend at least three years working diligently to find the owners of every item that makes its way to our vault, but even though we have the largest working vault in the country, we still need to make room for incoming items.”
Some of the valuable and interesting items in this week’s auction include:
- 14K yellow gold “Chief” pendant with round brilliant cut diamonds, 2.00 ctw, color G, clarity I1, 97.0 dwt;
- 14K yellow gold chain, 122.3 dwt;
- 14K gold and platinum ring with two Old European-cut diamonds, color I, clarity SI1, 1.5 ct and 1.54 ct, and a synthetic sapphire, size 6, 4.2 dwt;
- Platinum ring with two Old European-cut diamonds, color I, clarity SI1, 1.00 ct and .99 ct, size 7, 11.3 dwt;
- South Africa gold Eland Natura series featuring 1 ozt, 1/2 ozt, 1/4 ozt, and 1/10 ozt fine coins;
- Two U.S. 1934 five hundred dollar notes, Boston and Minneapolis;
- American Eagle gold bullion coins proof set;
- Two American Arts 1 ozt fine gold Grant Wood medals;
- U.S. gold type set including a 1915-S St. Gaudens twenty dollar, a 1910-D Indian Head ten dollar, a 1911-S Indian Head five dollar, and a 1911 Indian Head two and a half dollar; and
- Georgian silver marrow scoop.
Treasury works with Pook & Pook, Inc. for appraisal and auctioneer services. Anyone interested in bidding on items can register and preview items on the auctioneer’s website, pookandpook.com.
“Pook & Pook is excited to partner with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department again this fall,” said Deidre Pook Margarelli, President, Pook & Pook, Inc. “The Coins and Jewelry Auction on Oct. 30 will be the largest in our company’s 40-year history. Join us as almost 1,100 lots of treasure cross the virtual auction block.”
Proceeds from items sold at auction are documented by Treasury and remain available for a rightful owner to claim at any time.
Any item listed for auction is subject to change prior to the auction if new information regarding the item’s authenticity, estimated value, quality or other determining factor is discovered. Treasury is notified of these changes. Treasury employees and their immediate family are prohibited from bidding.
Before being auctioned, Treasury searches for the rightful owners for at least three years. Auctions are necessary to make space for incoming unclaimed property inventory. Military decorations and memorabilia received as tangible unclaimed property are never auctioned, and Treasury will continue to search for the veteran who earned them or their family.
Treasury is working to return more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property owed to about one in 10 Pennsylvanians. The average claim is worth around $1,600, Garrity said.
Since taking office, Garrity has returned more than $750 million worth of unclaimed property to Pennsylvanians, businesses, nonprofits and local government agencies.
To search for unclaimed property, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.
