Antiques or jewelry items that have been stolen and hidden away. Chiefly of
British usage, a sleeper is an item of antiquity, generally of known provenance, stolen and cached,
sometimes for years, until it can be sold to a
private buyer or exchanged.
"A sleeper is an
item that has been deliberately hidden, usually because it is
hot." Lovejoy, "To Sleep No More,"
1987.