Just a nice story to share. The Salvation Army confirmed that a gold 1979 Krugerrand coin was dropped in a kettle at the Walmart on Kietzke Lane in Reno last night. http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2017/...bullion-reno-salvation-army-kettle/956984001/
I realize that this is "trendy" and "cool". However, it's also extremely foolish, for a couple of reasons: 1. Many places have no idea what to do with a gold coin. They'll take it to the nearest pawn shop, where they probably won't get the true value of the coin. You'll serve Salvation Army better by selling the coin yourself for maximum value, and donating the proceeds. 2. By randomly dropping a gold coin in a pot, you're making an anonymous donation. That means there's no receipt, and it will be extremely hard to prove on your taxes. A donation of this size is extremely valuable as a deduction, unless you are quite wealthy. By forfeiting the charitable contribution deduction, you're essentially making an additional 30% donation to the government, which is colossally stupid and irrational. If you're going to donate a gold coin, do it at the office and get a receipt. Sorry, anytime I hear about someone dropping a gold coin into a bucket, all I can think of is "What an idiot." I'm all for dropping a $20 in (modern issue paper money cash), but anything larger than that is foolish.
