New Guy with a VERY weird Buffalo Nickel HELP!!!

Hi, I recently inherited some old coins and whatnot and I am in the process of going through them to learn a little bit about their history, worth etc.

Now I am a total FNG to this and know next to nothing about coins so bear with me. I tried searching for an answer but to be honest I didn't even know what I would use as search criteria.

Anyway I have, what I believe to be, a Buffalo nickel with a very strange front face. It is not an Indian head at all, at least not like any Indian I have ever seen.

Please take a peak at my pictures and give me some direction.

Thank you so much and I apologize in advance for any stupid questions that will be asked.

Chris
Sorry for pic quality let me know if you need anything clearer and I will get one of my photophile friends to to take pics.

FRONT OF COIN IN QUESTION


BACK OF COIN IN QUESTION

 

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Looks like someone engraved it -- I've seen these before. No additional value, I don't believe....Mike

 

I disagree, It IS engraved and it COULD be quite valuable. These carved buffalo nickels are called hobo nickels and there are a number of very talented modern carvers who sell them as art. BUT if it is actually carved by a hobo (long ago) then it can be even more valuable. Do a Google search for "Hobo nickel" and see where that takes you. Also search this site for the same, as we have a guy who carves coins and posts pictures here. Those threads will also have a link to the hobo nickel carving website.

Good luck, its a great coin.

CJD

 

I agree with The_Cave_Troll....

The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked.

Speedy

 

See I knew I should have let the experts post first! ...Mike

 

http://www.hobonickels.org/index.htm?

Click on the link above. That is the website for the Original Hobo Nickel Society and the folks there are probably the best for attributing your Hobo Nickel. It is a pretty neat piece and could be old, not a modern carving. There are several known old time Hobo Nickel carvers whose pieces are widely collected and some very high prices can be paid for newly discovered pieces by one of these carvers. Bear in mind that there is only about a 10% chance that yours is one of those, but it would be worth checking out. Good Luck! CDB

http://www.hobonickels.org/alpert05.htm

The link just above will help describe the characteristics of some of the old time carvers nickels.

 

This coin is really bugging me. I **KNOW** I have seen this hobo carving on the Web before, but I cannot place where. I just spent several minutes trying to search on the Internet but to no avail. Can you post a higher quality picture?

 

Recent versus Classic nickel carvings.

You folks are definitely on the right track... it is an carved/engraved nickel generally referred to as a "Hobo Nickel." My only exception to what has been said is that it is quality and not age alone that makes a carved nickel valuable. Recent nickel carvings sell at the same price levels as classic nickel carvings of the same quality.


Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/LeeG/lg2021.jpg

 

Welcome, Verne! I'm glad to see you here. Everyone should know that Verne is a budding Hobo Nickel engraver himself plus he built the website for the Original Hobo Nickel Society and a bunch of other neat coin collectables, has a very keen interest in Hobo Nickels and a ton of other things, and is an all around cool guy with a lot of knowledge in quite a few numismatic fields, as well as being an avid fisherman.

 

Good to hear from you Cliff... it has been a while. Whenever anyone said nice things about my Dad he always patted his pockets and then said that he was sorry but that he didn't have a quarter just then. Wonder what inflation has that quarter up to now? Anyway... thanks for all the nice comments but you are way off base on one thing ...ONE experimental nickel carving does NOT a budding Hobo Nickel engraver make!


www.HoboNickels.org

 

Walrafen---nice nickels you showed photos of....did you do them??

Also---WELCOME!!!
Speedy

 

Hi Speedy... Nope, would that such were so! The three carvings shown in my previous messages were done by Lee Griffiths from Idaho. He is a high end gun engraver who "relaxes" occasionally by doing a nickel carving.

The one and only nickel I attempted is nothing nearly so elegant...

Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/carvings/vrw001.jpg

There are a number of other superb nickel carvers working.
Steve Adams for one...

Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/SteveA/jfk.jpg

Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/SteveA/pope.jpg

Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/SteveA/raider0.jpg

Enlarged version: http://www.HoboNickels.org/SteveA/orchard0.jpg

 

WOW oh WOW!!!!

Your carving is great...better then what I will ever do ;--)

Speedy

 

This nickel is still bugging me. I have chhecked numerous online resources but to no avail. I KNOW I have seen this work before. I want to say it is a more modern artist, but I cannot place it unfortunately. In any case, the quality of the work seems high and as such the value is probably on the higher side.

Try posting some higher quality pics and I am curious, are there initials of any kind on the obverse or reverse?

 

Gosh, I never knew such intricate carvings existed. They are 'Way Cool'. I can cut down any tree, but I certainly can't imagine carving this well in a nickel.

 

Sorry for the delay. Thanks for all the input.

I will try to post a better picture tonight or tomorrow.

Chris

 

This forum is causing me to learn new things every day. I have one of these hobo nickels in my collection, and never took it seriously -- thought it was just an amusing piece. I had no idea it was a whole trend.

The one I have is pretty crude. I've always felt that it was made by a soldier in a foxhole somewhere.

 

may I ask how you go about carving the nickels?

Wonder work BTW...all of them I have seen are great.

 

I'm always impressed with carved nickels