CIA spotlights mysterious Malaysian coins found at intelligence agency's historic statue
The coins — a 20 sen piece from 2018, a 10 sen coin from 2017, and a 5 sen coin from 2018 — were featured on the CIA's official X account, where the agency regularly highlights curious or meaningful items from its archives.
They were discovered at the base of the Nathan Hale statue located outside the CIA's original headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Each coin carried small, distinctive illustrations: the 20 sen coin featured a stick figure, the 10 sen coin appeared to depict a woman or child, while the 5 sen coin bore what looked like an animal footprint.
The CIA did not disclose who placed the coins there or when they were left.
According to a statement on the agency's official website, CIA officers often leave coins at the foot of the statue before embarking on overseas assignments.
'According to legend, doing so brings good luck and is believed to ensure Hale protects the officer throughout their mission,' the CIA said.
Nathan Hale is considered the first intelligence officer in American history.
He was executed in 1776 at the age of 21 after being captured while spying on British troops during the American Revolutionary War.
The statue depicts him with hands bound, gazing resolutely into the distance.
While US quarter-dollar coins featuring George Washington are most commonly left behind, some officers opt for coins with symbolic or personal significance — including foreign coins like the Malaysian ones, or coin combinations such as 76 cents to commemorate the year 1776.
The CIA Museum periodically collects the coins left at the statue.
Proceeds from the collection are donated to the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation and the Third Option Foundation, which support wounded officers and the families of those killed in the line of duty.
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