Growing up, there were two things that meant "Christmas is coming!" to me, and both of them involved me seeing red!

The first was the appearance of Santa, or one of his "helpers," at the local mall. There he would sit, lap at the ready, regal and resplendent in his suit of red, with not a whisker out of place, waiting to hear what each of the good (and not so good!) little boys and girls waiting in line were hoping to find under their tree on Christmas morning. No doubt about it, a Santa sighting sure got my attention in those days!

The other shiny red symbol of the approaching holiday was the donation-seeking kettle of the Salvation Army. While Santa usually held court in the warm and dry interior of a store or mall, the "soldiers" of the Salvation Army were typically outside in the elements, ringing their bells, and urging passersby to donate what they could to help those less fortunate. I remember always asking my mom or dad for some change to throw into the kettle. Even as a kid, it seemed like a good idea.

By the time I was old enough to recognize and truly understand what the Salvation Army was all about, I learned that the organization had already been helping those in need for over 100 years; William Booth founded the group in 1865 in London, England. It was originally called the Christian Revival Association, but adopted the name Salvation Army in 1878. Throughout its history, the Salvation Army has provided food and shelter to those in need, and has preached its message of salvation — "abandon your sinful ways, and you will be saved."

 The organization celebrated its centennial in 1965 with, among other souvenirs, a high relief commemorative medal that was produced by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The medal features a male and female Salvation Army soldier looking skyward (to heaven?), encircled by an inscription that reads a century of service to god and man. The reverse of the medal features conjoined globes along with the inscription the salvation army serves god throughout the world by helping people; a biblical quote from Samuel is also featured.

 The medal is well-executed, typical of the quality associated with the Medallic Art Company, and one of many official commemorative medals issued during the 1960s — the last peak of activity for U.S. commemorative and historical medal issues. It’s also about as close to a numismatic Christmas item as I can muster from my personal collection, so it was called to duty as the topic for my December story.

 So, while you’re out and about this holiday season, be on the look out for the Salvation Army and its red kettles of hope. If you can, drop a bit of change (or more!) into their kettle and lend a hand to those who are less fortunate. Helping others will likely make you feel a bit better about yourself, and maybe even help your holiday spirit reach a new high!

 Until next month, Happy holidays and Happy collecting!

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