Gold Coin Worth More Than $2K Dropped In Geneva Salvation Army Kettle

GENEVA, IL — A valuable gold coin was discovered in a red Salvation Army kettle in Geneva this holiday season.

The American Eagle coin is valued at approximately $2,200, spokesperson Brian Duewel told Patch. The coin was donated in a kettle outside of Starbucks.

The contribution will stay local as the money will go to help families who are struggling to stay in their homes, put meals on the table or provide Christmas gifts for their children, officials said. The kettle program kicked off in 1891, and since then, gold and silver coin donations have become an anticipated tradition of the season.

The first gold coin of the season — a South African 1/2 Krugerrand worth about $1,200 —was found in November in a kettle outside of a Jewel-Osco in Libertyville.