In the May 7, 2000, issue of The E-Sylum, I wrote, I am still looking for that first reference.

When a new United States nickel coin was issued in 1883, there was no shortage of reporting in the papers. I have selected a few stories out of hundreds that were printed in 1883.

The Evening News (Emporia, KS) reported on February 14, 1883:

The Burlington (VT) Free Press carried an item on February 16, 1883:

The Weekly Public Ledger (Memphis, TN) printed on February 20, 1883:

The Semi-Weekly New Era of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, carried his item on February 24, 1883:

The Chicago Tribune reported on March 15, 1883:

Arkansas City (KS) Weekly Traveler of April 25, 1883 reported:

The Burlington (VT) Free Press reported on March 28, 1883:

The Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer reported for March 30, 1883:

The Daily American (Nashville, TN) of January 8, 1884, finished the story:

In 1883 there were many reports about gold-plated nickels, some arrests, some convictions and some acquittals. The 1883 nickels without CENTS were hoarded in large numbers.

Three people in the United States named Joshua Tatum were born before 1871.

Joshua Tatum (3/30/1800-12/6/1883) was a farmer living in Mississippi and fought for the Confederacy.

Joshua Tatum (1808- ) was a farmer in Cyprus Creek Township, North Carolina.

Joshua Young Tatum (1848-3/9/1898) was a farmer in Perry County, Tennessee.

There was no Josh Tatum in Boston in 1883. The story has been false since its first telling, whenever that was.

Some sources credit Maurice M. Gould with first telling the story in his syndicated column appearing in, among others, The Sioux City (IA) Journal of August 8, 1965. As with most articles written about Tatum, this is not correct.

An article by Eber Higgins in Garfield County News (Enid, OK) for June 22, 1962, tells a version of the Tatum story.

An article by Don Millsap in Grand Prairie (TX) Daily News of June 29, 1959, tells the Tatum story.

An article by Liana Spurrier in Coin Week of January 16, 2019, places the first reference to The Southwest Times (Pulaski, VA) of December 14, 1958, and a presentation by Miss Willie Long before the Southwest Numismatic Society.

Julia Casey found a May 22, 1955, article in the Dayton (OH) Daily News. There was an earlier article on May 1, 1955, in The Wichita (KS) Eagle, by Michael MacDougall. Interesting that he referred to the culprit as Joshua Tatum.

MacDougall's report was on an item found in a collection. It appears that he was repeating a story and not making one up. The original Josh Tatum source has still not been found.

If the Josh Tatum story did not appear in a newspaper, and does not show up in all the documents on the Newman Numismatic Portal, then where does it come from? I suspect it may have appeared in a popular non-numismatic magazine. I searched magazine databases through my local library but had no success. The truth is out there. Who will find it?

I was amused to see an ad for in The Daily Oklahoman for February 21, 1999. The coin illustrated is the 1883 with CENTS reverse. The ad notes that they will provide dates of their choice.

When I worked for a coin dealer we had a small bag of gold-washed Liberty Nickels in dates other than 1883. We considered them worthless.

Coin image from:
Well worn Copper's Blog(https://www.money.org/collector/user_7715/blog/
1883-racketter-nickels-an-assortment-of-fakes)

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
DON'T JOSH ME (https://www.coinbooks.org/
esylum_v03n18a08.html)
WHO'S JOSHING WHO? (https://www.coinbooks.org/
esylum_v03n19a10.html)
JOSH TATUM RACKETEER NICKEL REFERENCES PRIOR TO 1968(https://www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v10n08a15.html)
SEEKING (BUT NOT FINDING) JOSH TATUM(https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n07a07.html)
MORE ON JOSH TATUM AND THE NICKEL GYP GAME(https://www.coinbooks.org/v22/esylum_v22n08a21.html)