Missouri Unclaimed Money

Each year financial institutions, businesses, government agencies and other organizations turn over millions of additional dollars and the contents of nearly 500 safe deposit boxes to the Unclaimed Property Division.

...

State Treasurer Steelman and the staff of the Unclaimed Property Division use a variety of resources to assist in finding the original owners or rightful heirs of unclaimed property. The Unclaimed Property Division maintains unclaimed funds in trust for the rightful owners or their legal heirs forever. Unclaimed property never becomes the property of the State of Missouri.

The Unclaimed Property Division holds the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes for at least one year upon receipt. Silver bars, false teeth, diamond rings, cremated remains, letters signed by Abraham Lincoln and many other treasures have been discovered when opening abandoned safe deposit boxes.

Although State Treasurer Steelman would like to keep the contents of safe deposit boxes until an owner or heir is identified, the unclaimed property vault used to store non-monetary items of value (jewelry, coins, etc.) reaches capacity every couple of years. When the vault is full, the Unclaimed Property Division hosts an auction, and the proceeds generated from the sale of items from safe deposit boxes is recorded in the name of the safe deposit box owner. If owners or heirs are identified, they receive the entire proceeds from the sale of the items.