Have you dropped some spare change into the Salvation Army kettle this season? There's been a bell ringer stationed outside C-Town in Tarrytown, but this year and last it was the kettle at the Key Food Marketplace in Pleasantville that received the biggest and most mysterious gift.
For two years in a row an anonymous donor dropped a gold coin into the red pot. According to Janet Herrera of Tarrytown's Salvation Army, the corps had the two coins appraised by a dealer in White Plains, who said they are worth $700 and $1,500 respectively.
Herrera shared more interesting details that don't point to the identity of the donor but certainly highlight the generosity of the act:
The only other item that accompanied these coins were small typed or handwritten notes that contained the words "INHOC SIGNO VINCES" written below a roughly drawn cross. The anonymous donor also quoted Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice..."The quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes." After doing a bit of research, I also found out that this was the motto of the Templar Knights.
Of course gold is always good, though donations of any size this season are welcome.
"It shows you that you never know who is out there...and who sees us 'Doing the Most Good!'" Herrera said.
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