Auctioning off the contents of unclaimed safe deposit boxes is a big business in the U.S., producing an estimated 23 billion in sales over the years.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Thousands of safe deposit boxes are declared abandoned each year and by law, banks may sell their contents after unsuccessful attempts to find the rightful owners.

FORBES: Magazine Article

One estimate says there are around 10m extant bearer passbooks, many of them hidden away, perhaps even forgotten, under mattresses, in wardrobes and in safe deposit boxes.

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As part of the ongoing scheme, employees and vendors were paid in cash while hundreds of thousands of dollars were hidden in the restaurants, in personal safes, and in bank safe deposit boxes.

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Other pieces include white ceramic dishes stamped with the ship's red "White Star Line" logo and leather handbags that some of the ship's pursers stuffed with money from safe-deposit boxes.

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When property including bank accounts, bonds, dividends, uncashed paychecks, utility deposits and contents of safe-deposit boxes lies unclaimed for a period of time and the owner can't be tracked down, it gets turned over to the state.

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