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.)
After having to cancel my debit card, I forgot it did not work while I was grocery shopping and did not have enough cash to cover my purchase. Two different people behind me offered to cover the remaining balance. In the end a very nice woman saved the day and would not let me pay her back. All she asked was if one day I had the opportunity to show someone kindess that I would just as she had showed me.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
I always donate to my brothers- and sisters-in-arms, Special Ops Warrior Foundation.
Merry Christmas!
Silver and gold in everyone’s stocking! Best Christmas gift ever! Wish everyone a blessed holiday and a wonderful new year!!
I have never recieved anything especially remarkable, but I did buy my elderly father a new house this year.
Happy New Years!
Gold and silver will always hold their value!
I’m an active member of an anonymous Fellowship. Around Christmas and Thanksgiving for that matter we’ve taken an opportunity to collect food make up Meals, add a Coke or a bottle of water and go out into the woods or local haunts where the homeless make their home. I shudder when I see where life has taken some people, whatever we do is never enough, it’s Priceless to see the smiles on folks faces and they ask for nothing. I appreciate your above Salvation Army story, I bring Tidings of great joy, Christ is born! We have been gifted at levels we can never even really come to terms with. Pain shared is cut in half, Joy shared is doubled.
Charity starts at home!
My dad was recently diagnosed with non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, & was in dire need of a new liver. After a few months, they found a donor, performed his transplant. We never met the donor’s family, but we would like them to know how grateful we are for their gift of life. Although he’s still recovering in the hospital, we were able to spend time with him this Christmas thanks to their gift.
I enjoyed gifting a meal to a family in need. They received Honey baked ham to the doorstep of they’re house because they were to proud to take money from me. No return address 😉
Here’s to 2019!
I was sick over the holidays, so my xmas was a little rough but hey, im doing better than most !!! my Grandson was very happy with his bright shiny gift ,which made my xmas very nice after all !!! ; )
I work as a firefighter, during the holidays we always have line of duty deaths in our profession which really drives home the importance of family. In a moments notice our wives (husbands) and children can be left widowed (widower) and orphaned. During my career I have missed many holidays and special occasions due too our working schedule. Now that my children are well past the age of Santa Claus, I enjoy volunteering to work Christmas day or Christmas Eve so the younger members can enjoy some family time of their own. I always receive a hardy handshake and a big Thank You, but its the way their face’s light up, the great big smiles and the joy/twinkle in their eyes brought on by the knowledge that they can enjoy a special holiday with their family that I enjoy the most
Those are beautiful bars
My nephew loved the Spider-Man silver round 🙂
I have yet to ever get a secret Santa gift. I do try to give gifts out, randomly and anonymously during this season. I love to give to underprivileged families.
Loved the purchase I had this month from Provident. Too bad the Aztec silver rounds are sold out. Was hoping to purchase 10 or 20 of those =(.
Should be a silver bell giveaway for December, but always appreciate a sot at any freebie.
One Christmas I gifted my brother-in-law his first piece of silver. You could see on his face as he opened his gift the joy of knowing he has something of real value that will last a lifetime.
Merry christmas from England!
Very cool to read about these acts of generosity and good will at this time of year or anytime for that matter. Thank you for sharing and good luck to all entered!
I received the new Barbara Streisand album and the new silver dragon coin as a gift. Really loved both.
Merry Christmas!!
Just getting into bullion, hopefully I can be in a position to share it someday.
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens
May everyone have a happy and prosperous new year!
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens
May everyone have a happy and prosperous new year!
Early in the year was one of the most challenging ever. However, as a family we shifted our focus and got more active in the community throughout the year by serving as a non-profit board member, working in community gardens, Warrior Games, school reading programs and other support. We have met many wonderful and generous people. By giving more of ourselves this year and paying it forward, we have benefited many times over. As a result, we were able to help many people throughout 2018 and are very excited about 2019.