HELENA --- Rare coins, antique watches, and other relics of Montana’s past are now up for auction, as the Montana Department of Revenue disposes of the unclaimed contents of safe deposit boxes.

By law, the Department of Revenue holds certain property, such as old paychecks, rebates, bank balances – and items left in safe deposit boxes – that is unclaimed by its owners.

Items from about 90 Montana safe deposit boxes, including gold and silver coins, stamp collections, knives, jewelry and a 10-ounce bar of silver, are now slated for the online auction.

New items will be posted every other Thursday until they are sold.

When the rent is unpaid on a safe deposit box or the lease is expired for five years, the unclaimed contents are turned over to the Department of Revenue, which holds the items for three more years before going to auction.

The original owners of the unclaimed items retain the right to the proceeds, minus the costs of the sales and any bank fees.

Since 1963, the Department of Revenue has returned more than $48 million in assets to thousands of individuals.

For a link to the auction site, and to check if you are an owner of unclaimed property held by the Department of Revenue, visit MTRevenue.gov/ UCP.