While you’re out buying gifts for everyone on your nice list, chances are you’ll come across a sure sign that Christmas is fast approaching: A Salvation Army bell ringer and one of their iconic red kettles. Most of us will drop in whatever spare change we can quickly dig out of our pockets as we rush by. But for some passerby, the red kettles present an opportunity to play secret Santa in the most generous ways.
Over the years, substantial red kettle donations from anonymous donors have come in many interesting forms. Here are just a few of the valuable oddities that have filled those red buckets in recent years:
Diamonds are a kettle’s best friend?
2011: A worker at a Salvation Army collection center in Shawnee, Kansas noticed a wadded-up piece of paper lying among the coins and bills. He almost threw it in the trash, but decided to open it to be safe. He was astonished to discover that a solitary diamond had been tucked inside. The identity of the generous donor was never found.
To have and to hold….
2011: An engagement ring and wedding band, along with an appraisal, were tucked inside a dollar bill and anonymously slipped into a red kettle outside a grocery store in Henderson, North Carolina. The donor was never identified.
2014: In Cambridge, Massachusetts, a widow placed her engagement ring and wedding band into a kettle with a note saying that the donation was in honor her late husband, who was a “giver.” Another widow later purchased them from the Salvation Army for $21,000 — far more than their appraised value — and returned the rings to the original donor.
A long lost treasure
2016: In Sebastian, Florida, an unidentified passerby placed a 300-year-old gold escudo directly into the hands of the bell ringer. The coin, worth several thousand dollars, had been recovered off the Florida coast from the wrecks of Spanish treasure ships known as the 1715 Plate Fleet. The donor didn’t want to drop the rare treasure into the kettle because he feared it would get mixed in with the other loose coins.
Cold hard cash
2015: A very generous donor dropped a $10,000 check into a red kettle in Jacksonville, FL.
2014: A mysterious donor dropped bundles of ten $100 bills at a time into kettles all over the Minneapolis area, totaling over $14,000.
Silver Bells (“bars”?)
2015: In Syracuse, New York, The Salvation Army received a donation that was too big to fit into a kettle – a 100-ounce silver bar valued around $1,600. The generous donor wished to remain anonymous and was never identified.
Putting their money where their mouth is
2014: Among the most unusual items found in red kettles so far, Salvation Army spokesmen in both Florida and Missouri reported receiving gold teeth in the same year. An anonymous person put four gold teeth in an Orlando kettle, while another donated a single gold tooth in Kansas City.
Worth their weight in gold
The first time a Salvation Army organization reported a gold coin donation was in 1982, when an anonymous donor dropped a Krugerrand into a red kettle north of Chicago. According to legend, the benevolent donor was a World War II veteran who wanted to give something in return for the charity’s service that he received on the front line. Today, Krugerrands and other types of gold coins show up in the Salvation Army’s red kettles all across the country each year, providing solid gold evidence that there is indeed a Santa Claus. For example:
Since 1998: In Fort Collins, Colorado, a pair of 1-ounce gold Krugerrands were slipped into red kettles by the same anonymous donor for almost two decades. The undercover giver always returned later to The Salvation Army to buy back the coins at $1,000 more than their value. Notes and poems in the same handwriting were often attached to the donations, until 2002 – when the coins were accompanied by a note stating that the decades-long secret Santa had died, but the tradition would be continued yearly by the family in his or her honor. And it hasn’t stopped since.
2018: This year, gold coins worth several thousands of dollars have already been anonymously dropped into Salvation Army kettles around the Chicago metro area, including several Gold American Eagles and Gold Krugerrands.
Which brings us to….
Our December giveaway!
We would love to hear about a unique gifting experience you’ve had during the holiday season. Tell us about a time you enjoyed playing “Santa” to put a smile on a special someone’s face, or received the perfect gift at just the right time from an anonymous giver. We may share a story or two on our Facebook page, as well!
Commenting below will serve as your entry for our December giveaway. Submit your comment (one comment only please) by December 31st, and one winner will be randomly selected on January 1st to receive an Argor-Heraeus 1 gram gold bar! Whether you decide to keep it or play secret Santa with it is up to you!
*(No Scrooges allowed! Inappropriate comments will be deleted and disqualified.)
You never know what treasure will be found in a pot. Great stories
My little sister stopped believing in Santa at an early age and, as a result, Santa stopped visiting her. That is, until I decided to surprise her by sneaking a gift from Santa to her under the tree. I was in my early 20’s and no longer lived at the house so I was not suspected. Mom and Dad had no idea who the gift was from and they convincingly swore they had nothing to do with it. Her reaction was amazing so the next year, Santa visited everyone in the house. They were all pleasantly confused. The tradition continued for years. Eventually, they began to suspect it was me but I denied it and continue to deny it and Santa kept delivering presents. The tradition continued after my sister got her own place except now Santa had to visit both houses. When she had kids, my nieces got a real gift from Santa along with their other gifts from Santa. Mom and Dad continued getting gifts from Santa too. The tradition even continued after I had moved out of state, which futher confused everyone. The effort and expense was worth every penny. The tradition eventually ended but the memories and the spirit of giving will last forever.
I do not have a good story but reading this was quite amusing. A gift I appreciate. A good read.
So cool to see people do things like this
I know I will not be the winner so CONGRATULATIONS to who ever wins this Argor-Heraeus 1 gram gold bar! I live alone so I will not be celebrating CHRISTMAS but I will be letting JESUS KNOW I DID NOT FORGET HIS BIRTHDAY !!!!!!!! My X ean off with the next door neighbor and told me NEVER COME BACK BECAUSE THE GIRL AND BOY ARE NO LONGER MY CHILDREN ???? Well she trained my daughter and son as well as my new GRAND DAUGHTER the person she married was the father and grand father so what do I have to celebrate except for THE BIRTH OF JESUS so I know I never win anything I keep loosing ?? Well Y’all have a wonderful day for THE BIRTH OF JESUS !!!!!!!!!!!
Wow
This is a great article. Good luck to everyone!
Perhaps not so unique, but the most valuable gift I ever gave or have been given is time with someone I love. I don’t care how cliche that might sound – it’s something that can never be replaced.
Very inspiring to hear stories that aren’t about how much is being spent in the mad rush and stress of what so many have forgotten..love.
Last year at Christmas I didn’t want any presents since I already have everything I need. I told people to donate to the charity of their choice and tell me about it. The stories I got were 10 times better than any Christmas present I could have gotten from the department store.
Enjoyed the article! Provident Metals is my goto dealer.
I was blessed to be the recipient of Elton John tix by my girlfriend. Great show!
A piece to hide in a drawer for the kids to find would be great.
Nice article
awesome sauce! provident is the go to for your precious metals needs!
I donate to The Salvation Army year round, not just at Christmas. Most, if not all of the money, goes direct to where it is needed, instead of contributing to some CEO’s six figure salary
I would love to be able to do this kinda giving.
This article make me happy. Very cool!
I gave a car away one time i had been in horrible car accident kids drag racing hit me, took 3 yrs to collect from ins. And than it wasnt even a yrs wages. But i moved an couldnt take car. I did everything u could possibly think of to make sure it was in top condition. I was excited to give, i was always financial ly sooo broke i was happy to give something finally. I had noticed one day the churches assistants wife walking with 3 kids to the store so i put title in her name and gave to her husband.
To my dismay, and hurt the church members began to gossip an say i had something goung on with him thats why i gave it. Not only that he told people , to save face maybe, that yes i had givin it but he had to put alot into it to get it jn decent condition. So much for the joy of giving.
I bought some food and a drink for a homeless man.
Everyone who can give pls give. After that spike the egg nog and enjoy the holidays!
The best gifts I have ever gotten are my two daughters.
I first learned of the krugerrand mystery on the news.
Cool story!
Great story for this time of year.
With so much hate in the world, it’s heartwarming to know there are still good, kind, generous people out there. I love hearing all the stories and creative ideas folks have come up with!
this is so cool I did not tell anyone and I shou Ild not now but in 2016 I put a silver eagle in a red kettle I think this is so cool
It’s good to hear of all the good people do rather than the bad you hear on the news every day. You’d think we are all that way when really most of us have hearts of Gold…..
I’m from Syracuse too. May I could be a secret Santa here too.
The greatest time I ever got to “play Santa” was when I was about 10. There was a family that lived not to far from us. They were a family with very little. There were 4 kids and they all slept in the same bedroom and didn’t have anything of “normal” toys because of cost. When Christmas came that year my parents allowed me to give my Atari and the few games I had to them. It was such an awesome thing to see these kids my age explode with joy for something they would probably never have.
Love the stories great to hear there are so many giving people this time of year it is so needed