A foreign coin left in a Scottish charity collection tin has been branded a “Christmas cracker” after it sold for more than £1,400 at auction.
The coin – a $50 2015 American Gold Buffalo – was donated to Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA), but it’s true value was only revealed when it was taken to a foreign currency exchange.
The American Buffalo coin was first released in 2006 but has since shot up in value as the price of gold has risen.
SCAA has said it has charity tins all over the country, so there’s no way of knowing where it was handed in.
According to the BBC, Kate Loades, SCAA’s community fundraising manager, said that when the charity receives any foreign or misshapen coins, they are separated from legal British tender.
She said: “When we have enough foreign coinage, it is sent for conversion to Sterling for our funds. It could have been donated anywhere in Scotland.
“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.”
Last year SCAA managed to raise £26,000 from their collection campaign, however Ms Loades said that the charity had never made so much from a single tin.
She said: “It really is the Golden Goose of SCAA’s Christmas.”
Following the major windfall, the charity took to X to tell its followers of its good fortune.
It wrote: “Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance received an early Christmas present when a foreign coin deposited in one of our collection cans turned out to be a one ounce Gold Buffalo coin worth £1,462!”
