Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance
A Scottish charity discovered a solid gold Buffalo $50 coin in a charity collection tin.The 2015 coin appeared to have been donated to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.It was worth £1,462, which is about $1,835, the charity says on its website.
A Scottish charity was shocked to discover a solid gold coin worth £1,462, or about $1,835, in its charity collection can — making it the most it has ever raised from a single can, it says.
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) said in a post on its website that it found a 2015 gold American Buffalo $50 coin after it had been discarded into a pile of foreign currency by its coin-counting machine.
“We have hundreds of collection cans distributed throughout Scotland,” SCAA community fundraising manager Kate Loades said.
“These are all emptied and counted, with any foreign, out-of-date or misshapen coins gathered in a box. When we have enough foreign coinage, it is sent for conversion to Sterling for our funds,” she added.
The website says that this means the charity cannot determine which collection the coin came from.
This undated photograph provided by the US Mint shows a $50 American Buffalo gold coin
U.S. Mint via Getty Images
“It could have been donated anywhere in Scotland,” Loades said. “All we know is that we’re hugely grateful to whatever kind person parted with their US coin to support the work of SCAA.”
“Their generosity helps us to respond to critical injury and illness wherever we’re needed in Scotland, so we thank them for making one of our collection cans a real Christmas cracker.”
$50 gold American Buffalo Coins, which were first introduced in 2006, are “one ounce of .9999 fine 24-karat gold,” according to the US Mint.
The coins have a face value of $50, but their increasing popularity and rising gold prices mean they are often worth far more.
“It really is the Golden Goose of SCAA’s Christmas,” Loades said.