By Lewis Delavan
Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK — More than $130 million lies unclaimed in the Arkansas treasury, along with valuables from stocks and jewelry to a large shark’s tooth available to rightful owners in the 2009 Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt.

“Each year, millions of dollars are turned over to Arkansas by U.S. companies that cannot locate the owners,” Auditor Jim Wood said in announcing this year’s version of the annual event today.

Valuables come from bank accounts, stock certificates, checks, unclaimed wages, safe-deposit boxes and other sources. Items range from gold and silver coins, $100 bills, postcard collections, baseball cards, Kiss band memorabilia to items of sentimental value: Family photos, military discharge papers and birth announcements.

Wood said owners’ names will be printed in local newspapers, and names can be searched online.

Wood said the treasure hunt is the favorite part of his job.

“It gives me a real sense of satisfaction to be able to reunite people with their property,” he said. “Clearly, finding a $500 bill — it probably doesn’t have a sentimental value to you, but it would still be of value to you.

“The things that really bring people pleasure don’t have cash value. It’s things like baby pictures, wedding pictures, discharge papers — things that don’t have cash value, but it can mean the world to you; your parents’ wedding license, your baby pictures or something.”

Companies are responsible for the cost of delivering materials to the auditor’s office.

Financial institutions must hold property in lock boxes for five years after the last contact with an owner.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday and again at 5 p.m. Saturday, names of more than 4,500 owners of $450 or more will air on the Arkansas Educational Television Network.

People who see their names and who lack Internet access call 1-800-252-4648 to request a claim.

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On the Net:

https://www.ark.org/auditor/unclprop/index.html