Gold coins showing up in Salvation Army kettles
WQuarterFreddie
Posts: 2,679 ✭✭✭✭✭
Quick search of the forum threads shows history repeating itself this year! Great story and happy holidays!🎅🤶
Holiday magic is in the air as a $5 donation turned into $2,000 for Salvation Army volunteers in Vermont as they tallied up the money raised during their annual fundraising drive.
According to media reports, the volunteers found a one-ounce American Eagle gold coin tucked into a five-dollar bill......
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Comments
Read the article, correction 'one gold coin', not plural. Still good tho'.
Yes, but there have been other gold coins donated in other states, which makes it plural as we're referring to all Salvation Army kettles.
Coin Photographer.
Keep reading... First paragraph does not tell the whole story.
Mark
I did, the article makes report of 1 gold coin in one kettle of SA. Then it goes on to say these show up in kettles from time to time. But the article only documents 1 gold coin. No additional examples are specifically documented in the article.
So my post above is accurate.
HST, pretty cool, you could all spark an additional article by taking your 1 oz gold coins and puttin' in da SA kettle. If they are in their PCGS slabs they might carry more value!!!
The wise guy will put a slabbed one in the bucket. Added Value !
Edit to add : I should have read poster before me. He hit it on the head.
When I searched the forum before creating this thread I was surprised to see this has happened many times in the past.
Personally I am not wealthy enough to donate gold coins but I do make it a point to donate some cash and thank the volunteer for donating their time during the busy holiday season when I see one ringing the bell.🎅🤶
Unfortunately I have seen less kettles in recent years.
"While rare, gold coins have been known to make their way into donation bins during the holidays. So far this year, Salvation Army volunteers in Indiana and Detroit, Michigan have also found gold coins in their red kettles."
When I went to school, one plus one plus one always came to three. Admittedly, I'm not up on my new math.
Mark
Plus Vermont equals 4.
Although, technically, 3+1 = 1 mod 3
I'm sure there are many on these forums who've been extremely generous with their wealth to needy causes. If I were going to give the equivalent of an ounce of gold or more, I'd be doing my due diligence on the most efficient causes where 90-95% of the money gets to the truly needy, not paying for administrative costs or new vehicles, not saying that SA or others do that.
Yeah, charity watch (or a similar site) is an eye opener as far as how the money is actually spent at various charities. "We could have saved 50 more children from starving, but our CEO really needed that 800k salary."
We sure are sticklers on accuracy, almost as much as we find it hard to admit when we're wrong, but I digress.
This happens every year... At least one 20$ ends up in a Salvation Army kettle... Its a lovely geseture but could definitely find a more charity friendly charity... Code of Vets etc etc.. Low overhead high give money away charities
Yes, there have been some that are notorious for that type of top heavy structure.
Actually Vermont, Indiana and Detroit, MI... three but who's counting? Not too many from the looks of it.
Mark
No CAC stickered gold coins, yet. A guy can hope
And what does the salvation army do with these gold coins??
That would make for a better article.
They probably sell them to a local coin dealer. They need cash that can fund their operations.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Oops, I took Detroit and Michigan as separate items in the list.
Either way, it is more than one
Back in the 70's and 80's, gold coins were regularly found in the
SA Kettles in the Chicago area. Two at a Dominicks close to where
my aunt lived.
Can you imagine if they went straight to the Coinstar to cash out and didn’t check the reject slot?
Could not agree more. We have a local charity,though worthwhile,has a yearly gala/bash. I wonder how much funds go to support such an event. Money that could go into the charities efforts. Also the administrator is always on the news getting all the credit for the work being done. When the true credit should go to all the people who donate all their time for free to make the charity work. They are never acknowledged on the news.
I would be quite leery to place a coin, such as a Double Eagle, in the kettle for this generation's bell-ringers.
They may, either, think that it's counterfeit or trade it in for a $20 bill!
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Wonder if counterfeit bills find their way into the SA barrels.
The international leader of the Salvation Army holds the rank of general and is selected by a high council of active-duty commissioner and territorial commanders. The salary of the general of the Salvation Army is estimated to be $122,330 per year.
---Seems pretty reasonable to me.
@Walkerfan Aren't the kettles locked and can only be
opened at the local office. When a group of us helped
out and the replacement person showed up, they brought
an empty kettle with a lock.
I forget who it was here but I remember someone putting a plat in a kettle.
So, he outranks Colonel Sanders?
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
All the kettles that I've seen for the last few decades have a thin slot on the lid which is locked. Some of the bellringers that I've seen look like scruffy homeless people and it wouldn't surprise me if some of them are doing court-ordered public service.
Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
"Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
"Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire
Salvation Army folks have called me a few times to find out what a particular gold coin that had been dropped into a kettle was worth. They also ask for a recommendation as to where they can sell them at a fair price. The money goes to their cause.
They are one of my favorite charities with around 82% of money taken in going to help their communities.
A new use for the "first spouse" gold coins.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Who's going to be claiming a gold buffalo donation on their taxes this year?
Does it have to be a real one to get the full write off?
What happens when the Slab doesn't fit in the slot?
I didn't know that.
Well, it's nice to hear that, at least, SOME safeguards are in place.
Sometimes, it’s better to be LUCKY than good. 🍀 🍺👍
My Full Walker Registry Set (1916-1947):
https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/16292/
Not sure how'd you be able to claim the write off since the whole idea of dropping a gold coin in a tin is being able to make a large donation (for most of us) anonymously.
I can verify that the worker cannot take your donation and put it in the kettle. The donor must put the donation in the kettle. 😎🎅🤶
It's fun to make anonymous contributions; especially, since the standard deduction for married couples is currently $13,850 for single filers and $27,700 for those married filing jointly. A little more for old timers.
Might even be more fun to drop an unwanted PCGS slab in one of those kettles.
With some of these new comers, they could write off those rare error cents