When Money isn't Everything

In his line of work, Don Lambert said, “You never know what walks in that door.”

Case in point; this summer, a rather interesting piece — a century-old gold pin — found its way to Lambert’s and Steve Schiavi’s Portland shop, Coins N’ Gold Exchange.

“Somebody came in and sold a bunch of scrap gold. I didn’t even know what the pin was. I’d never seen it before,” Lambert explained.

“Whenever we buy something for the scrap value, sometimes I’ll research it, especially if it’s odd like that.”

Lambert learned that what he purchased was a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) insignia pin.

DAR is a lineage-based organization for women descended from a person involved in aiding in America’s independence.

DAR members receive an insignia pin, with their name and national number engraved upon the back.

The DAR pin that landed at Coins N’ Gold Exchange had belonged to Agnes Mary Ryan, a member of Connecticut’s first DAR chapter, Wadsworth. Ryan joined the chapter in 1907. She passed away in 1928, in Hartford, at the age of 73.

Not realizing that DAR would be interested in possessing Ryan’s pin, Lambert put the item up for sale on the auction web site eBay.

Soon after, he was contacted by a DAR member politely requesting that he end the auction and donate the pin to DAR.

Unfortunately, due to eBay rules, Lambert could not pull the plug on the auction until the clock expired. When it did, Lambert and Schiavi, as asked, handed the pin over to DAR.

Lambert estimates the value — gold-wise — of the pin to be “a couple hundred dollars.” But he understands it is worth much more than that to DAR.

Donating the pin “just felt like it was the best thing to do at the time,” Lambert said. “They were pleased to get it back. Apparently, a lot of these things don’t get recovered.”

Added Schiavi: “It’s for a good cause. We felt it was only right to return it.”

Lambert’s and Schiavi’s selflessness was not lost on DAR, which sent the gentlemen a thank you card. DAR members also thanked the shop-owners face to face.

Coins N’ Gold Exchange, located at 238 Main St., has been in business three years.

“We’re ecstatic about the shop,” Schiavi said. “Our biggest business is repeat customers. And the people around here are amazing. It’s a tight community.”