A time capsule that has been in the base of the toppled Robert E. Lee Confederate statue in Richmond, Virginia, for 131 years will be replaced today with a metal box filled with woke 2021 artifacts including an expired COVID-vaccine, photos from Stop Asian Hate protests, BLM stickers and a 'Virginia is for Lovers' Pride badge. 

The new capsule contains 39 items that were proposed by residents of the city and selected by a group that included the state's First Lady Pamela Northam. 

Northam, who filled the box up on Tuesday, will put it in the place of the old capsule today - a day after the statue of Lee was brought down and sawed in half in front of a cheering crowd of BLM protesters. 

The old, copper capsule is from 1887 - three years before the statue went up. It is believed to contain a silver dollar and relics from the Civil War including Confederate buttons. 

Crews started looking for it at 8am on Thursday but after four hours, they still hadn't been able to find it. 

If they can't get it out without removing too much of the concrete pedestal, they will stop. The new capsule will still be buried. 

A newspaper article from 1887 says that it also contains a photograph of 'Lincoln lying in his coffin' that was donated by Miss Pattie Leake, a school principal from a prominent Richmond family. 

Historians are dubious about whether it is an actual photograph of Lincoln in his coffin or a sketch or print of him lying in state.