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The Folsom Prison Counterfeit Nickel Gang, 1898

JCH22JCH22 Posts: 214 ✭✭✭✭

Folsom Prison is known for many lasts and firsts (as well as a legendary Johnny Cash Concert). It was the first electrified prison, first with a commercial ice-making plant which spurred development of California’s fruit-growing industry, and, apparently the first prison with its own mint:

Contemporary articles from surrounding towns do contain reports of circulating counterfeit nickels.

A picture of Folsom Prison circa 1900:

Comments

  • goldengolden Posts: 9,656 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool story.

  • DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,491 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They should be locked up!

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    What a fitting name.

    I noticed that as well! Haha!

    Best regards,
    Dwayne F. Sessom
    Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,010 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Do we know if any of these prison nickels have been preserved, authenticated and graded?
    10 pounds of opium! Musta been a convict zombie fest.

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 9, 2024 7:43AM

    They were undoubtedly making counterfeit V nickels in 1898 - which is a date that I have personally found very difficult to obtain in PCGS MS64! My MS V nickel collection is complete except for the 1885, 1886, 1890, and 1898!

    https://www.pcgs.com/setregistry/alltimeset/71874

    Best regards,
    Dwayne F. Sessom
    Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 9,311 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Been nice if they made a few V's for 1913.

    Successful transactions:Tookybandit. "Everyone is equal, some are more equal than others".
  • johnny9434johnny9434 Posts: 28,415 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How bogus 👍

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Namvet69 said:
    Do we know if any of these prison nickels have been preserved, authenticated and graded?
    10 pounds of opium! Musta been a convict zombie fest.

    I have searched everywhere online that I can think of, and as far as I can tell, not a single example has ever been graded, and locating ANY actual examples has proven to be extremely challenging. I am sure there have to be some preserved examples out there, but I have been unable to locate even a single one.

    Best regards,
    Dwayne F. Sessom
    Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,010 ✭✭✭✭✭

    FP has a museum. I made an inquiry to determine if they have any of the 1898 nickels on display. And a request for pics of an example. We shall see.

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • CRHer700CRHer700 Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    What a fitting name.

    It is spelled as Cayne elsewhere in the article.

    God bless all who believe in him. Do unto others what you expect to be done to you. Dubbed a "Committee Secret Agent" by @mr1931S on 7/23/24. Founding member of CU Anti-Troll League since 9/24/24.

  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 9,010 ✭✭✭✭✭

    FP responded to my inquiry with "We do not" 😐

    BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @CRHer700 said:

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    What a fitting name.

    It is spelled as Cayne elsewhere in the article.

    That part would be incorrect. He was a private detective, and his true name was Harry L. Coyne, and in life, he went by "Jack". I found an article detailing how he ended up in prison to begin with.

    https://lavenuesproject.com/2014/01/04/hero-or-huckster-harry-coyne-the-dynamite-fiend/

    Best regards,
    Dwayne F. Sessom
    Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
  • DCWDCW Posts: 7,385 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A very interesting thread! Thanks for posting this. I enjoyed the read

    Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
    "Coin collecting for outcasts..."

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Namvet69 said:
    FP responded to my inquiry with "We do not" 😐

    Darn. If they don't have a single example, they may no longer exist. They may have been destroyed, although some were rumored to have made it into circulation in the Folsom area.

    Best regards,
    Dwayne F. Sessom
    Ebay ID: V-Nickel-Coins
  • jayPemjayPem Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Worthwhile post that's for sure!
    👍

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 34,560 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BLUEJAYWAY said:
    Been nice if they made a few V's for 1913.

    Would have been hard to pass in 1898.

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