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Gold coin dropped in Salvation Army Kettle in Tampa, FL
GRANDAM
Posts: 8,373 ✭✭✭✭✭
Excuse the photos but they are from a paused screen on my TV.
Fox News says it is worth $2,000,,,,,, I have no idea,,,,,
GrandAm 
2
GRANDAM
Posts: 8,373 ✭✭✭✭✭
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If that’s accurate, $2000 worth of bullion coins would have been better. Still, it’s a very generous gift.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Interesting, and curious, choice for such a donation. This is fairly common as far as ancient Greek gold goes, but is well known because it imitates designs used on a silver coin by Brutus when he was a humble moneyer in the Roman Republic. You'd think a fractional gold bullion coin would have been both easier to find, and easier for the Salvation Army to turn around sell. If anyone wanted to donate a Koson Stater to me though, I wouldn't complain.
It’s cool they donated a slab.
They needed the slab and identification for the news story.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Angeles at work.
An interesting choice. So far this year a quick search on Google also turns up...
Krugerrands in Michigan:
https://fox6now.com/2019/12/07/anonymous-donor-dropped-gold-coins-from-south-africa-into-salvation-army-red-kettle/
Eagles in Illinois:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/ct-ecn-geneva-salvation-army-gold-coin-st-1127-20191126-gqata6k2yngqfg6ebylkbdev2e-story.html
And even an Austrian 100 Corona in North Carolina:
https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/-thank-you-mystery-donor-drops-gold-coin-in-local-salvation-army-kettle/1015428102
Older stories include Pamp bars, 50 pesos, and maples.
--Severian the Lame
I’ve herd of these before. Lots of people are very generous.
Young Numismatist/collector
75 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 45 members and counting!
instagram.com/klnumismatics
$2K isn't out of the realm of reason but strong for the type. I was offered a group of 20 of them a couple years back for $900 each in comparable condition.
These "drops" happen every year. Nice gesture.
These gold coin drops seem to generate a lot of valuable publicity.
Cool donation I like
When I lived in Seattle, each year, someone would drop an AGE in the Salvation Army kettle...I say an AGE, but might also have been older double eagles at times...Always made the news there....Cheers, RickO
Very, very foolish, what was the giver thinking? This makes it way too hard for the charity to get their money out of it and then use the funds to help the needy.
If you give precious metals as many of us have, educate the charity on how to get full market value for the coins.
Also if giving coins or bullion, to get the tax deduction you need to substantiate the gift with market value.
The donor was comfortable with how they gave, and the charity made hay with the publicity. We're talking about it here, and this thread alone has received over 100 views. How many other people are talking about it? Thousands?
It's possible the coin will sell for more than its "market" value now.
--Severian the Lame
Didn't this Secret Santa bullion kettle drop start back in the 1970's
in some Chicago suburbs. I remember listening to radio station WLS
in Chicago as they interviewed the SA each season about the drops.
I remember one year it was a few Kruegerands.
I sent the Salvation Army a donation. My first to them. The recent controversy surrounding them and a certain fast food joint I find very unsettling. I will continue to support them from here on out. I grew up eating chicken everyday. Plucking feathers the whole nine yards. My opinion; chicken is either very good or sickening to eat. No inbetween. Mostly it's horrible. Anyway.......I'm a Salvation Army supporter now. Those other folks don't need my money. They already have enough. MERRY CHRISTMAS!
P.S. On a brighter note.....off to the game! Rams vs. Seahawks. Hope it doesn't rain but those clouds look pretty bad.
I agree they handled it in a way to attract a lot more money; but in general if an esoteric coin is donated into a SA kettle especially if uncertified, the charity will not know how to get proper value.
If the coin had not been certified would SA have known what the process would be to get market value from it? Certification and/or auction would probably the way to do that.
Also I try to give to charities where 90% or more of donations go to the needy: https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Guide-to-Giving/America-s-Top-50-charities-How-well-do-they-rate
**Logger7, **
many of us also do. Great.
But there will always be someone who will try to get "in on it" in one way or another.
SA kettles are very intimidating as these are everywhere with a lot of pedestrian traffic. it is very easy to come across 10 in a shopping day.
Did you know, the people who ring the bells next to the kettle do get a paycheck, minimum wages? I asked a person. he said otherwise they would not get anyone to do it.
so what does "volunteer" really mean? and how much does really go to the cause? After "all these" expenses.
Look at it another way. You drop a dollar bill into a kettle, After all the possible expenses you can think of, lets say there is 25c left. That's 25c more than the charity would have received w/o the trouble and expenses.
Guess it would make sense to drop $2 the next time.
I wonder if the people sorting the change ever take a gold eagle to the bank because it says 50 Dollars on it.
Young Numismatist/collector
75 Positive BST transactions buying and selling with 45 members and counting!
instagram.com/klnumismatics
I know the fellow in charge of our local food bank.
He volunteers and does it because he can afford it and he enjoys helping others.
he also provides all the space needed and cooling facilities on one of his properties for free.
Man, can he tell stories... like a woman coming to get a food hamper just to sell it right out on the street for money to buy drugs with...when confronted with the rather serious issue she explained its either that, or to sell herself to some guy for money or drugs.
Others, men and women of all ages, have offered him "TLC" for food
Yes, that is the ugly side of it and I am sure it is somewhat the same in the USA, as here in Canada or the rest of the world.
A seriously ugly and uncomfortable side of facts, NO government, local, state, or federal wishes to address officially.
Very cool.
I'm ure the salvation army has a web site to sell some of these proceeds
I suppose they “the guys on the coin” are supposed to represent the three Wise Men. Makes sense I guess.