Valuable gold coin dropped in Salvation Army red kettle in Akron

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — It sure isn’t chump change.

An anonymous donor dropped a Canadian gold coin worth hundreds of dollars into a Salvation Army red kettle in Ohio.

The 1990 coin that turned up Thursday in one of the charity’s sorting bins in Akron has the face of Queen Elizabeth II on one side, a maple leaf on the other and a face value of $50. But jewelers say since it’s an ounce of gold, it’s worth far more.

The precious metal has been trading around $1,100 per ounce.

Regional Salvation Army officials say the gift is welcome. The organization is struggling to keep even with last year donations as demand for its services increases because of the tough economy.