Almost everyone has heard of Folsom Prison, that sounds like a pretty safe assumption. Beyond just knowing about it, I have to admit that I am simply not very informed about it's goings-on. Well, that slightly changed last night. I was watching a youtube channel (tasting history) about that prison and, while his main focus is of the episode is food, he also delves into some historical stuff about it. That's when I had heard a term very new to me: the Folsom Prison nickel. I found this website about it if anyone is interested in reading up on it. The Infamous ‘Folsom Prison Nickel’ – The Coins & History Foundation https://share.google/kJ0udz5RPMhI6JrTt
What I find the most intriguing about it is the lack of actual information about them. I suppose it's because there was never any credible evidence taken in or verified, and potentially because nobody ever really confirmed it at the time. Still, it can be fun to look for unicorns.
One reason they are not discussed much these days could be that they just did not survive. I had to look up "babbitting", today would just be babbitt, a soft alloy used in bearings made to wear, that the convicts pulled from the train's axle box. This would have made them much easier to mint, but also, they probably wouldn't have lasted very long.
