Most under appreciated/neglected coin set?

That's a whole lot. Maybe too much. You may find collecting to be more satisfying if you concentrate on fewer objectives at a time.

 

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I agree. I was kinda having a tongue in cheek moment. I plan to do just a couple things. I was just saying that the more I get into looking at all the different series the more of them I was interested in. Like a kid in a candy store

 

I agree with Sean the Coin Collector above: Jefferson nickels have no hyper-pricey rarities and the design is great. Up to you, whether to get picky about "five steps" and frosted proofs.

 

Only the two placed on your eyes.

 

I don’t see too many under appreciated coins mentioned so far – most have been appreciated for a long time and most are pricey. Look at modern issues with under 250k mintage. I like the P-Pucks best, next would be modern bu commems and all the other mint issues that are part of circulating series, as well as ASE's. They simply haven’t had time to be appreciated and by buying them now, you’re getting in on the ground floor.

 

I was thinking about this today and came to the conclusion that, if you can "buy" a complete set, then it'll never be appreciated. It'll always "just be a set" that you bought.

 

If you are collecting FS coins, there are absolutely condition rarities that command large sums even in MS63-MS65 FS or higher.

 

A Prison token was a medium of exchange that may have been used in Federal, state, or local jails, prisons & penitentiaries. It was held that convicts and cash do not mix, as the lust for money is what landed many inmates in the pokey in the first place. A convict possessing actual U.S. cash could do a number of undesirable things - bribe guards for special treatment, purchase contraband/favors from other inmates, gamble, or possibly be extorted by guards or other inmates. In the event of an escape, cash on hand/in pocket could buy food, other clothing, transportation, or even weapons while on the run.

While there were serious drawbacks for inmates having legal tender, at the same time, there were legitimate reasons for some type of prison currency. Most lock-ups have provision for prisoners to purchase from a commissary such things as tobacco, snacks, reading material, personal items, etc.

If you have never visited anyone in prison, that is one of the reasons guards watch over the visiting area, to make sure cash (among other things) is not exchanged between the visitor and the inmate. I know that when I have visited "detained" family members, they were prohibited from going in the vending area, even to see what snacks were offered in the vending machines. That is probably because with money being out in the open, an exchange could be more easily made.

So, prison tokens were a medium of exchange that allowed prisoners the lawful use of money while within the walls, but would deny them the illicit uses. Typically these tokens will have the name of the prison, as well as a denomination on them. Many of the ones I have are made of plastic. Prison tokens are not often used in today's world, as they have been replaced by more modern means. Most cases of which I am aware, the prisoner has an "account", and legit purchases are simply deducted from that account, a bit similar to using a debit card, or writing a check.

 

I have a few in plastic too, as well as some older brass ones. I recently picked up a variety of prison tokens from the Cumins State Farm in Grady, Arkansas (now the Cumins Unit - under which name Johnny Cash performed in 1969).

I understand that there are also POW camp tokens [some quite rare], although I don't think I have any in my collection.