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Treasures from Pennsylvania Treasury up for auction

One in ten Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property at the state treasury – about $4 billion worth of items.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Things like jewelry, coins, gold, and silver are currently inside the vault at the state treasury, and they belong to people like you and me.

"One out of ten Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property, so I guarantee you that some of your listeners, viewers have unclaimed property at the treasury," said Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity

Garrity says most of these items are unclaimed pieces of property that people don't know they have access to. Much of it comes from abandoned safe deposit boxes.

"They were turned over to us after three years. We held them for at least three years, most of the time more than three years," Garrity said.

While the Pennsylvania Treasury has the largest working vault in the United States, Garrity says they need to make room for new items. So twice a year, the treasury holds auctions. Currently, around 4,000 items are available in the two-day auction.

"A 14-karat wristwatch, an 18-karat gold chain-link bracelet, an 18-karat gold ram's head bangle bracelet, and there's even South African Krugerrands," Garrity said.

Proceeds from the auction are held for the property owners. Garrity says every sale is carefully documented.

"If they come five years from now and say, 'Hey, I think that that wristwatch is mine,' we will still have that money from the auction for that property owner," Garrity said.

The auction runs through Thursday.  

For a link to the auction, click here.  

To check if you have unclaimed property, click here.

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