ORLANDO, Fl. — They stand outside every Christmas ringing bells and raising money for those in need. But one donation in Orlando this week really has the Salvation Army’s bells ringing.
“We were elated,” said Captain Ken Chapman.
It was a 1904 $20 coin with one ounce of pure gold. It’s worth a whole lot more than $20 now.
“We took it to a gold shop, actually three of them, to see how they would compare and they all said about $1,200.”
Volunteers knew there was something special when they saw the coin, but it was when they felt it that they really knew. That’s because the person who first saw it was a coin collector.
“They said ‘I’ll buy it for more than it’s worth.’ Hallelujah! Here you go!”
The coin helped the Salvation Army hit $100,000 for the season.