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The Folsom Prison Counterfeit Nickel Gang, 1898

JCH22JCH22 Posts: 170 ✭✭✭

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: 9,598 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Cool story.

  • DocBenjaminDocBenjamin Posts: 1,410 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They should be locked up!

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,317 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @hummingbird_coins said:
    What a fitting name.

    I noticed that as well! Haha!

    Dwayne Sessom
  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 8,970 ✭✭✭✭✭

    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: 2,317 ✭✭✭✭✭
    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

    Dwayne Sessom
  • BLUEJAYWAYBLUEJAYWAY Posts: 9,107 ✭✭✭✭✭

    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: 28,328 ✭✭✭✭✭

    How bogus 👍

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,317 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @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.

    Dwayne Sessom
  • Namvet69Namvet69 Posts: 8,970 ✭✭✭✭✭

    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: 1,919 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @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: 8,970 ✭✭✭✭✭

    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: 2,317 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @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/

    Dwayne Sessom
  • DCWDCW Posts: 7,312 ✭✭✭✭✭

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

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

  • dsessomdsessom Posts: 2,317 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @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.

    Dwayne Sessom
  • jayPemjayPem Posts: 4,078 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Worthwhile post that's for sure!
    👍

  • jmlanzafjmlanzaf Posts: 34,180 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @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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