Rare gold coin worth thousands of dollars found in Pittsburgh-area Salvation Army kettle

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A rare gold coin worth thousands of dollars was found in a Salvation Army kettle in Washington County.

They’re as much of our Christmas landscape as the Christmas tree. Salvation Army red kettles are manned by volunteers ringing a bell, asking for selfless giving during the holidays. One kettle in Washington was found to hold more than loose change this year.

“There was a dollar bill that was completely taped up and wrapped up,” Lt. Thomas Perez of the Salvation Army in Washington said.

It was Christmas Eve when someone walked by and slipped in a rare gold coin wrapped in a dollar bill. Inside the coin was a brief note saying the giver wanted to remain anonymous.

“They want to remain anonymous,” Perez said. “In the last four years, we’ve received a gold coin in our kettle basket.”

The donation happened at a Giant Eagle store in Washington. The coin, a Queen Elizabeth II coin, is valued at more than $2,700.

“What it says to me is that there is still hope for people out here in this world,” Perez said. “A lot of people have lost hope and think that the world is full of evil and there’s no more love and joy and compassion in this world. This shows me that there is compassion left in this world.”