Rare generosity: Coin worth $1,801 dropped in Des Moines metro Salvation Army kettle

Francesca Block, Des Moines Register
·2 min read

Bellringing by Salvation Army volunteers stationed by red kettles is part of the soundtrack of the season of giving, and this year in the Des Moines metro, one generous, unnamed donor has struck an unusually joyous note.

Inside a sealed container wrapped in a bill, a rare 1983 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II gold coin appeared in a kettle outside Scheels at Jordan Creek Town Center last week. Maj. Butch Frost, the Iowa Capital Area coordinator for the Salvation Army, said the discovery of the rare coin excited the entire office in the midst of its drive to raise $4 million ahead of Christmas.

After getting it appraised, The Salvation Army was able to sell the coin, with a face value of $50, for $1,801 due to its rarity and excellent condition, Frost said.

A rare 1983 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II gold coin dropped in a Salvation Army Red Kettle was found to be worth $1,800.
A rare 1983 Canadian Queen Elizabeth II gold coin dropped in a Salvation Army Red Kettle was found to be worth $1,800.

“It’s a phenomenal feeling because we are working really hard to reach our Christmas goal this year, and to be able to accomplish that we need the generosity of the community," Frost said. "For someone to take a very rare coin that is in excellent condition and drop it into one of our buckets, that makes a major impact."

Frost said it has been years since the Salvation Army has seen such an anonymous display of generosity in Des Moines.

More:Donate to Embrace Iowa to help neighbors in need this holiday season and throughout the year

The Red Kettle fundraising effort dates back to 1891, when Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee launched it as a way to raise funds to feed the poor in San Francisco. Today, the Red Kettle campaign helps the Salvation Army provide meals for 4.5 million people during Thanksgiving and Christmas, according to the organization.

While rare, few years pass with reports of people dropping unexpectedly generous donations in Salvation Army kettles. The Salvation Army in St. Paul, Minnesota, said it found a $200,000 check in a kettle in 2017, and in 2019, the Salvation Army in Louisville, Kentucky, reported receiving a donation of a $1,500 gold bar for the fourth year in a row.

Individuals can support the Red Kettle campaign online through www.donate.salarmywestern.org. And Frost will be happy to accept any donation ― including more rare and valuable coins.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Francesca Block is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at FBlock@registermedia.com or on Twitter at @francescablock3.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Jordan Creek Salvation Army kettle collects rare coin worth almost $2K