Salvation Army workers in Atlanta counting donations found a special Christmas gift in one of their red kettles Tuesday morning: a single coin wrapped in a piece of paper.
Normally it wouldn't be cause for excitement, but this was no ordinary coin. It was a South African Krugerrand, a rare gold coin valued for its purity.
"We estimate the coin to be worth between $1,600 and $1,700," said Maj. Marshall Gesner, metro area commander of the Salvation Army.
Making the donation even more special was the paper the coin was wrapped in. It contained a Christmas-themed message: "A child is born, Jesus."
"I just can't believe it," said Capt. Sandra Pawar of the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center in Atlanta, where the coin was discovered. "We have been praying for something special to happen this Christmas and it did."
Officials believe the coin was dropped into a red kettle at the K-mart in Mableton.
"Although the donor is unknown to us, they are not to God," Gesner said. "We are very grateful for the gift and wish Christmas blessings to the donor."
The Atlanta Salvation Army isn't the only one to receive such a donation.
Kurgerrands and other valuable gold coins have been found this year in kettles in Fort Myers, Fla., Carlisle, Pa., Portland, Ore., Lincoln, Neb., and Cynthiana, Ky.
About the Author
