A couple of valuable gold coins, each worth more than $1,000, have been dropped into Salvation Army red kettles this past week.
The coins, rare 1800s Liberty gold pieces, were put into two different kettles, one in Englewood on Saturday and the other on the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver on Wednesday.
“I was here, I didn’t actually see it,” said mall bell ringer Mike Marshall, whose kettle captured one of the gold coins.
The donor was anonymous in both drops, the Salvation Army said.
The sour economy has hit collections hard this year and the gold coins, which have been given in the Denver area in the past, are heartily welcomed.
“The Salvation Army is thrilled to receive such special donations like these coins,” says Capt. Ron McKinney. “With our donations being down 30 percent, these gold coins donated couldn’t come at a better time than this. What a true blessing.”
The Englewood coin is a 1890 Liberty Gold $20 coin. It was dropped in a plastic sleeve and has been appraised at $1,100. The coin dropped at the mall on Wednesday is a 1893 Liberty Gold $20 piece valued at $1,170, the Salvation Army said.
The army also reports that a bell ringer at an area grocery store, at East Ninth Avenue and Corona Street, received a $900 “wad of cash” several weeks ago. The same Corona Street bell ringer has received 23 Liberty Silver Dollar coins circa 1921.
All contributions are appreciated by bell ringers, but rare and valuable coins really shine.
“It’s great,” Marshall said. “It’s very generous whoever is doing it.”
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
