As the holiday season approaches, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is encouraging people to find memorable gifts, including a vintage Mickey Mouse wristwatch and a 14-karat yellow gold pendant with a small diamond, during an online ICash auction November 21-30. The U.S. Mint may have stopped making pennies this month, but you can still add historic one-cent pieces to your collection. Available to the highest bidder are “Flying Eagle” coins from the 1850s and Abraham Lincoln “wheat pennies.” Some of the other auction items include:

• 19 Morgan silver dollars from the years 1880 to 1921 

• A 1925 half-dollar coin commemorating California’s diamond jubilee 

• A running Elgin #571 21L pocket watch

• A 10-ounce silver bar

• An 18-karat yellow gold ring with a green-colored stone

• Four pairs of 14-karat yellow gold ball earrings

A total of 150 lots will be auctioned, with some lots consisting of multiple items. You can view all auction items in the catalog on the HiBid website.  Prospective bidders first must sign up on HiBid and create an account. There are a couple of ways to do this. One is to go to hibid.com/ and click on “Create Account” and fill in your information. Another is to go to the catalog, scroll down, and click on “Register to Bid.” For questions, call 217.557.8567.