The holiday season is upon us, and most of us are beyond busy. With so much to do, it’s easy to lose sight of what the season is really about: giving. Well, coin lovers all over the country seem to know the true meaning of the holiday season. From the beaches of Florida to the cornfields of Nebraska, big donations in the form of gold coins have been turning up in Salvation Army red kettles.
Omaha, Nebraska
An anonymous donor in Omaha dropped a French Gold Angel coin from 1889 into the local red kettle. The coin weighs almost one-fifth of an ounce, and is worth nearly $300. The coin was wrapped in a note that read, “Here’s a Gold Angel for the angels at the Salvation Army.” Angels really do walk among us!
Fort Myers, Florida
Each holiday season since 2005, a mysterious stranger has left an extremely valuable coin in one of the Salvation Army’s red kettles in the Fort Myers area. The coin donated each time is a 1924 Liberty Eagle $20 gold coin. This Augustus Saint-Gaudens–designed beauty can be worth up to $2,000. Each time the coin is donated, it’s left with a note that reads, “In loving memory of Mimi.” No one at the Salvation Army in Florida has any idea about Mimi’s true identity, but whoever she is, her coins serve as a beautiful legacy that will be sure to brighten many people’s holidays.
Houston, Texas
An anonymous donor was kind enough to leave a one-ounce gold coin wrapped in a dollar bill outside a Sam’s Club in Houston, Texas. The coin was a 1985 $50 Canadian Maple Leaf worth as much as $2,000. Last year, three separate Salvation Army red kettles around Houston received similar donations of one-ounce gold coins. One of the coins given last year was donated at the very same Sam’s Club as this year! It looks like this secret Santa is making the giving of gold coins an annual tradition.
Mebane, North Carolina
For several years, in Mebane, North Carolina, someone has dropped a valuable donation in one of the red kettles in the region. This year, the coin was a $100 Australian Kangaroo. The one-ounce gold coin is worth around $1,200. After donating, the generous do-gooder always calls to make sure the coin was safely received.
Round Lake Beach, Illinois
Outside Chicago, the red kettle campaign kicked off over Thanksgiving weekend with a bang. Someone donated an unnamed one-ounce gold coin the very first weekend the red kettle was out! The coin’s estimated value is at least $1,200. Interestingly, the iconic red kettle’s very first holiday season campaign happened in Chicago.
Fargo, North Dakota
In the Northport neighborhood of Fargo, a Good Samaritan thought they’d spice up their trip to the local grocery store with a little holiday spirit. So they plunked a $1,300 gold coin in a red kettle. The coin appears to be a one-ounce Gold American Buffalo from the photo shown. The tradition of a gold coin being dropped into this red kettle in this region has gone on for 12 years!
Pompano Beach, Florida
At a Wal-Mart in Pompano Beach, Florida, someone dropped yet another gold coin into a red kettle. The coin was exceptionally rare, a 1947 $50 Gold Peso worth over $1,400. The coin weighs 37.5 grams, and was in seemingly good condition.
Coin lovers all over the country know that an ounce of compassion is worth a pound of holiday joy.
Liberty Coin & Currency specializes in rare coins and currency. We are a family-owned business located in Portland and Vancouver. We also buy gold, silver, diamonds, and jewelry. Visit us first for a free evaluation.
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