Safe deposit box treasures up for sale

CHICAGO, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- Valuable items ranging from watches to rings that were apparently abandoned in safe deposit boxes in Illinois will soon go up for sale online, officials say.

The Illinois Treasury Department said it is set to sell scores of the unclaimed items through eBay after the various treasures were found in abandoned bank safe deposit boxes, the Chicago Tribune said Monday.

The "Silver and Gold" holiday jewelry begins Sunday and will last until Dec. 14, allowing individuals to purchase Christmas presents.

The items all come from safe deposit boxes across the state that haven't been visited for at least a decade. Following that time period, banks turn over the contents of the boxes to the state as required by law.

The Tribune said while treasury officials hand discovered firearms to the police and burn any abandoned pornography, jewelry is open for auction.

Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias has raised $245,787 in such sales since 2007 to help pay off the state's pension fund debt.