San Francisco, CA
Valuable coins placed throughout San Francisco by shop owner for scavenger hunt
Valuable coins placed throughout San Francisco by shop owner for scavenger hunt
A San Francisco coin collector and shop owner in the Marina District plans to give away $10,000 worth of rare coins in a scavenger hunt. The hunt begins Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO – A San Francisco coin collector and shop owner plans to give away $10,000 worth of rare coins in a scavenger hunt.
He’s hoping to get more people interested in coin collection and says this is a great way to educate people about the role coins play in history. The hunt starts on Friday and there will be clues posted online.
Seth Chandler, owner of Witter Coin in San Francisco’s Marina District, is giving away a total of 11 coins; five gold, five silver and one copper. He said the rare coins are pieces of history made in San Francisco. The coins won’t be hard to find and Chandler expects them to be found in a matter of hours.
“I thought of the idea to place 11 different coins, all made in San Francisco, in 11 different neighborhoods,” said Chandler. The value of the coins ranges from $250 to $2,500 each. A $20 gold coin from 1915 and a penny made in 1909 are the two most valuable.
“I love coins. I’ve been collecting coins since I was four-years-old,” said Chandler. “When you hold a round piece of metal when it’s two or three hundred years old, you think about our founding fathers. You think about the country the coin was made in. You can really connect with history.”
This scavenger hunt is open to the public and aligns with National Coin Week.
“San Francisco is the king of coin cities, the only city in the country with three mints,” Chandler said.
A U.S. Mint still operates in the Upper Market area. It produces special edition, commemorative coins.
The city’s first U.S. Mint started operations in the Financial District in 1854. It’s now home to the San Francisco Historical Society, a museum.
The second U.S. Mint building in San Francisco is on Fifth Street in the SoMa neighborhood. It is now a venue space.
“There is no artifact that even comes close to our coins to tell a story of a civilization,” said historian and coin collector, Don Kagin. “It tells so much about who we are and what we are and our U.S. Mint has done a good job.”
Chandler said he and his staff have hidden coins in locations across the city, but that they will be giving clues on social media. Each coin will be in a plastic bag along with a card that has information on how to contact his store: Witter Coin.
“We’re encouraging people to bring it back here to our shop on Lombard Street just so we can meet them, see how excited they are. But most importantly, educate them about the coin they found,” said Chandler.
He said at noon on Friday, he will post photos with clues on the store’s Instagram: Witter Coin.
He also gives this one hint: “Think like a tourist.”
Good luck and happy hunting!
What’s New
Hilton hotel workers in San Francisco voted on Christmas Eve to approve a new union contract after a 93-day strike, according to the Unite Here Local 2 union.
The union, which represents about 15,000 workers in the region, announced that the deal settles the last of the city’s 2024 hotel strikes, covering approximately 900 Hilton workers.
Newsweek has contacted Unite Here Local 2 and Hilton via email for comment.
Justin Sullivan/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
The new contracts after this year’s strikes establish significant improvements in wages, health care and workload protections for workers at Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott-operated hotels.
The agreements conclude months of labor unrest that involved thousands of workers and disrupted San Francisco’s hotel industry.
What To Know
Hilton workers voted 99.4 percent in favor of the agreement on Christmas Eve, which includes a $3 per hour immediate wage increase, additional raises, and protections against understaffing and increased workloads.
The four-year contract preserves affordable union health insurance and provides pension increases. The deal covers workers at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55, with 650 workers having actively participated in the strike.
This agreement follows similar contracts reached with Hyatt workers on Friday and Marriott workers last Thursday, covering a total of 2,500 workers who had been on strike since late September.
What People Are Saying
Bill Fung, a housekeeping attendant at Hilton San Francisco Union Square for 29 years, said: “These 93 days have not been easy, and I’m so proud that my coworkers and I never gave up. We stood together through the rain and cold, and even though there were some hard days, it was all worth it. We will go back to work with our health care, good raises, and the confidence of knowing that when we fight, we win.”
Lizzy Tapia, President of Unite Here Local 2, said: “Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers refused to give up their health care or go backwards – and we proved on the picket line that we’re not afraid of a tough fight. As contract talks begin with the city’s other full-service hotels in the new year, they should know that this is the new standard they must accept for their own employees.”
San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie said on X: “All those that have been out on strike will be back to work, and just in time for Christmas. So, things are looking bright as we head into 2025.
What Happens Next
Unite Here Local 2 said it would push for other full-service hotels in San Francisco to adopt the same standards established by the Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott agreements when contract negotiations resume in 2025.
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