Salvation Army Finds $1,400 Coin Donation In Red Kettle

WAUKESHA, WI — This time of year, the clinking of change into the Salvation Army red kettle is a common occurrence outside of shopping centers all across Wisconsin.

One particular change donation in Waukesha over the weekend went above and beyond the dollar or two that the average person scrapes up at the spur of the moment.

According to the Waukesha Salvation Army, an anonymous donor slipped a one-ounce 1985 Queen Elizabeth Maple Leaf Canadian gold dollar coin into a kettle at the Waukesha Pick 'n Save on Saturday, Nov. 25.

The coin, which came with a hand-written note on a scrap of orange paper that read "God bless Salvation Army," is valued at between $1,300 to $1,400 on the collectors' market. The Waukesha Salvation Army has plans to auction the coin at a future date.

"It's always a surprise, and it's always exciting when it happens — it's very gratifying to know that people trust us to make the most of their gifts, in order to help other people in need." Major Nelson De La Vergne, Corps Officer of the Waukesha Salvation Army told Waukesha Patch. The red kettle goal in Waukesha County is $800,000 this year, and officials say they are about $18,000 behind in their campaign goal for 2017 at this point in the season.

"We wish to express our great appreciation and thanks to this generous donor. We will never know who he or she is," the Salvation Army said in a statement.

Image Via Waukesha Salvation Army