1-ounce South African Krugerrand found in a Salvation Army kettle. Dec. 31, 2024. Photo: Salvation Army
NAPA, Calif. - A rare gold coin was discovered over the weekend in a Salvation Army Red Kettle in Napa, the organization announced.
The coin is a 1-ounce South African Krugerrand, worth thousands of dollars, and was found on Saturday in a kettle, operated by volunteers from Kiwanis of Greater Napa at a local grocery store, according to Salvation Army Capt. Larry Carmichael.
"We are incredibly grateful for this generous and thoughtful donation," Carmichael said in a statement. "It’s a reminder of the power of community and the incredible impact one person can
make."
It's unclear whether the gold coin was purposefully donated – or a mistake.
Salvation Army Grant Hansen acknowledged that it "it is a bit of a mystery who donated the coin and how intentional it was."
Hansen added, though, that he would suspect that if a coin owner knew its true value, they likely wouldn't be walking around with it in their pocket.
"My hope is that whoever donated it knew what they were doing, and it was an intentional gift," Hansen said.
Carmichael said he truly believes the coin was an intentional gift.
It's so much heavier and larger than other coins, Carmichael pointed out, that it would be hard to mistakenly drop it in the kettle.
Carmichael noted that the coin was dropped into the Kiwanis of Napa’s red kettle, "securing their win" against Rotary Club of Napa in the two clubs' annual Red Kettle Ringing Challenge.
"It’s the first time that Kiwanis has won in years against Rotary," Carmichael said.
Every year, the Red Kettle Campaign helps the Salvation Army of Napa serve more than 40,000 meals, provides culinary training and helps families stay warm and housed during the cold months.
The Salvation Army is still accepting donations in person, online, or via the virtual Red Kettle at naparedkettle.org.
The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign ends on Christmas Eve.