Hobo Nickel Information Please

attached here are the 3 of the only hobo nickels i own. I inherited these as well from my father. In exnoumia this is an interest that i would very much like to expand my knowledge so I'd like to know Grade, Value, other observations etc. Ive seen other examples and kinda know what to look for.

 

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heres the third coin

 

I am not a knowledgeable hobo nickel collector, but here are a few things to consider. The coins no longer hold a value based on grade as not only are they pretty worn to begin with, but considered damaged. If you could find out when they were made and possibly by whom, that could increase the worth. Here is a website with some resources: http://www.hobonickels.org/

 

I'm also interested in learning more about hobo nickels. I don't really know what to make of them. They're not really coins anymore in my mind; they're tiny sculptures, and I don't know anything about sculptures.

 

Carved coins have been around for decades. A interesting art form. Ebay has some nice ones. I just collect images from the internet. Almost any coin can be carved!

 

This is the current Ebay link.. right click and open in new tab - http://coins.shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38.l1313&_nkw=hobo&_sacat=11116&rmvSB=true

 

Also - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_nickel

 

I have met several members of this society and I own a few hobo nickels myself. If you click on the tab "modern carvers" you can get an idea of the level of quality there is in the market. Your three coins were done by very novice individuals and the value would only be to the artist himself. There are several know artists from the depression area who are highly collectable in their own right. It was in those years that the hobo nickel became a source of survival for some of the non working class. Several organized field trips are made every year by society members to locations known as "Hobo Campsites". As you can guess, these locations are along established railroad routes and near towns. The nickels were sold to the townspeople as a source of income (Or traded with individuals for a specific item). Yours unfortunately aren't in the proper condition or quality to be valuable. There are certain tells that each notable artist has in his engravings that allow for attribution. They are cataloged similar to civil war tokens. The OHNS has an official publication called BO-Tales. Email Becky Jirka at beckyjiohns@yahoo.com She is the club's secretary and could mail out a copy to you. It's only $20 a year for membership in the society. She and I live in the same general area and met at the FUN Show this past January.

 

I do not collect them, but like the look of some modern carvers works of art. I have some pics some where.... I will look for them....brb...back here are some pics I saved...none of these are mine.... I tend to like modern carved skulls....

 

here is my favorite 1. not mine:



and a few more cool ones I like a lot:

 

Love the SPOCK!

 

yean i have seen this qualty of carving and i kno they usually sell for hefty premiums upwards of 300 but i thought contemporary specimens from the depression era were of moderate significance like $30-100 dollars depending on design and engraver. also what about the garfield i have it has the initials "jhd" is that a known engraver? also whats you guys opinion on the value i have for each please.

 

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

Read up on John Dorusa and I recommend you try the old fashioned way of getting information: make the effort to google it yourself before asking others to do it for you! Yes, yes, some might argue this counts as doing research, but having a baseline knowledge of information could help everyone else help you. cheers.

 

not sure what the value is ?

 

For your nickels, the value is only realized by the artist himself. To others they have no value. It's like comparing an artist's drawing of stick people to the Mona Lisa.

 

well thanks seattle im trying to eagerly learn from every angle. i always try to learn from others as that exemplifies an aquired knowledge through trial and error as it expedites the learning curve. i also dont have regular internet access. i will use the reference information when i can

 

from what i can tell and from the short time piggy backing off of the wifi at my fiances work while i wait for her to get done. my garfield is a john doruso based on the style of initialing and content. 15-30 buks. id dig deeper but i wont be on long as were getting 4-8" of snow

 

I can't argue with your methods; it seems like we've helped you identify who may have done those nickels. I hope you plan to keep your coins and aren't so concerned about the value of them. The history of the coins make them more valuable than what you'd get for selling them.

 

didnt paln on selling anytime soon and im wareing down a 1982 nickel to try my hand at it. ive also made a wedding band from a 1942 walking half. lol. is ther anything else to know, fun facts, rarity scale, things to look for about original hobo nickels i should know? anything at all will be appreciated

 

Not from me. Time to move on.