KENMORE, Wash. – You could gain a treasure, or maybe reclaim one you have lost, as the Washington State Department of Revenue puts unclaimed valuables up for auction.
Items being auctioned off include coins, jewelry, sports memorabilia, stamps, and other rare items, even an 1860 campaign button for Abraham Lincoln.
The items are contents of safe deposit boxes that institutions turned over to the Department of Revenue after they lost touch with owners or rental fees went unpaid.
State law requires the items to be auctioned off if they are not claimed within five years, but cash receipts are held in the safe deposit box owner’s name.
You can still claim property that you believe is yours before it is auctioned at the Department of Revenue’s Unclaimed Property website.
Auction items can be viewed in person on November 15th and 16th at the James G Murphy Company in Kenmore (18226 68th Ave. N.E.), or on-line at the company’s website.