My son's birthday is coming up soon and I would love to have one of his gifts be a combination of his two favorite interests: Mario games + coin collecting! I need someone that can turn an buffalo nickel into a Mario character...possibly Luigi?
If you know someone who has a dremel tool and small grinder bits, they can probably come close to a drawing. Maybe not a surprise, but dentists have the equipment and the dextrity to do nice work. I get used diamond burrs from my dentist, disinfect them, and use them to carve/grind/engrave crystals, rocks, metal,etc., but my hands have a hard time with vibrations these days.
This guy does some amazing work and he also does commissions. I could swear he had a Mario up on e-bay awhile back but I can't seem to find it. http://www.androscreations.com/
Joe Paonessa does great work. You can contact him through Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Badger-Mint/98014314320?sk=wall&filter=12 .
Great idea! Thanks for the link green18! Watching those videos os nothing short of inspiring! Mario characters on Hobo nickels for a numismatic spark of interest geared toward promoting the hobby in the eyes of young ones.... fantastic! Please let me know what it may cost to commission a hobo nickel of this type. I have 2 young ones myself.... Can't believe I didn't think of Mario.... Leave it to a Mom! Good job!
Let me know if you need the name of someone. I found an artist who seems pretty talented and I should have the Mario coin this week. I can't wait for my son's reaction and I'm hoping to get the matching Luigi character for him at Christmas.
The engraving and such of these pieces are quite elegant and very artistic. However, to me a Hobo Nickel needs to show some remaining characteristics of the original nickel other than just the date. Something that has enough of the original face design in it, to show it was once a circulated coin. Not just the reverse.
