NEW! Click photo to view additional photos
	Photo by Skip Lawrence Major Raymond Pruitt of the Salvation Army says this gold coin was deposited in a Salvation Army bucket at the WalMart Md.85 on Friday. Purchase this photo

The clink of a gold American Eagle coin was heard on Friday at the Wal-Mart on Md. 85.

The coin, valued at $900, has been a Frederick tradition for at least five years, said Maj. Raymond Pruitt, Salvation Army Corps officer.

"That's as far back as any of the staff remembers," he said.

Pruitt said the coin usually arrives the week of Christmas, though sometimes it gets dropped a little early.

Though no one knows who offers the coin each year, Pruitt said he thinks it's the same person.

"They don't want to be identified," he said. "We're perfectly happy to honor that wish."

As of Saturday, Pruitt said the Salvation Army has collected about $7,000 more than 2007. He said it received several donations in the $3,000 range, but said that every gift is significant, whether it's $25 or $3,000.

"They all help us do work in Frederick ," Pruitt said.

The Wal-Mart location has been the drop-off point for the past three years.

Salvation Army volunteer bell-ringers work every day but Sundays and Thanksgiving from mid-November to Christmas Eve, at one of the 18 Frederick kettle-collector locations.

Regarded as a Frederick tradition, Pruitt said he searched the Internet for "Salvation Army gold coin," and found stories from places all over the country, including Michigan, California and Wyoming.

"It does happen in other parts of the country," he said.

Pruitt said the Salvation Army wants the anonymous donator to know they "appreciate it very much."