This is a interesting find even if unusual way to do it.

[George-CT]

TORRINGTON, Conn. -- A Connecticut Salvation Army chapter got a pleasant surprise when its members were counting change dropped into one of the organization's holiday donation kettles.

Members found a rare 1881 "half eagle" coin last week while counting donations made somewhere in Torrington on the day after Thanksgiving.

The half eagle was the country's first-ever gold coin and had a face value of $5. It was in circulation from 1795 to 1929.

Lt. Alan Galentine of the Salvation Army's Torrington Corps. said the chapter will be having the coin appraised, but it appears it's worth between $250 and $400. He said it's not clear at which location the coin was donated.

The coin was found when a change counting machine didn't recognize the half eagle and separated it from other coins.


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[Wayne in BC]

a kid got into the coin collection

 

[George-CT]

coin. I've never found a gold one, but I've used the clad I found all year to purchase them. Figured once I bought one, I'd find 5 of them...
So much for that idea. I buy the inverse Indian head gold coins off of ebay. Mostly $2.50 ones. I have always wanted to get a ring made out of one of them, but so far haven't.

so of the coins I've found in school yards were far older than the school and I had wondered again if kids were just grabbing coins from a drawer not knowng what they had. They started covering the play grounds in wood chips around here to cut back on skinned knee's etc and its great for detecting in. A screw driver is all you need to move the chips around. The coins gets discolored from them but its sure easy to do.

Geo-CT

 

[Micheal_R]

n/t