Hobo nickels I carved

It depends on how sharp my tools are and the design. For a classic coin it takes between 15 minutes to half an hour. For a detailed coin it can take a long time. The most time I spent on a hobo nickel was over 30 hours.

 

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Classic hobo nickel designs are a lot of fun!! The classic hobo nickels from the 1910s to 1930s were all done with hammer and chisel and push gravers. And they were done on full horn nickels the majority of the time. Some were carried around and shoe more wear. But the cut lines are easy to distinguish form an air powered graver. Hand engravers also take a lot of skill because one slip can be bad because the tools were very sharp.
I use a brass hammer and a chisel for the feather and the braid.
I always sign my work so they dont get sold as antique carvings.

 

It's always impressive when you hear US Code brought up! For the record I don't want to go to jail or have the United States Secret Service showing up!! Before I started carving coins I actually called the Secret Service and and a really nice conversation with a Secret Service agent. He said that carving coins is not illigal. Penny rolling machines are not illigal. Love tokens are not illigal and they were used in the place of greeting cards at one point in US history.
It is illigal to take a quarter and change it into a ten dollar coin. And it's interesting that paper money is protected and you can't cut it up.ans make art with it. But you can use shredded money that was shredded by the treasury.
If carving coins was illigal I would personally not do it.
The US Mint gift shops in Philadelphia and Denver sell my hobo nickels. Everyone there is really awesome and it's really an honour that they carry my work. Every year I donate hobo nickels to the ANA also. This year I am sending 25 hobo nickels

 

Great answer!!

 

Well, it is an art form and yes a big part of our historic culture. I like them but would not buy one. They aren't worth more than a nickel to me. I see someone selling them on eBay for about $10. Given that you have a fortune. Maybe you should send several to the Smithsonian in D.C. ART is what you see>. I see a HOBO who would rather have a Ham Sandwich. Sull

 

I like your hobonickels, takes skill

 

I say if you didn't ever "ride the rods" or "hop a freight", you are no hobo, and don't make hobo nickels. "Hobo nickel like coin" more accurately. But the modern ones are interesting.

 

What Brent is doing is no worse than you using a chemical to attempt to bring up a date/mm. Neither being worse that the other. Brent enjoys what he is doing and I assume(should not)that you do as well. Lighten up stick to your lane and enjoy what you do and let others enjoy their endeavors. Semper Fi. Phil

 

You are the man. I want some .Verry nice, Make some of your own design then sell me some.

 

Very cool. You do some good work!

 

I have to agree with Robert Ransom, I'm not in favor of defacing U.S coinage, in my opinion. No offense intended toward anyone's opinion.

 

I agree with several others. To deface a coin is disrespect to the coinage.

 

Why the hostility? Do you not agree individuals may have opinions? I have already lightened up during the past few years and dropped from 240 lbs. to 200 lbs. and I drive in the right lane. Utilizing a solution to bring forth an undecipherable date does not alter the coin in the manner engraving does and why bring the Marines into the equation?

 

well brent hobonickel i think there really cool. you sure have the hand of the artist. if this is something you truly enjoy and I'm with sensiblesal66 in saying he thought it was ok if the coin was worn down to nearly nothing

 

Oh, so that's why that other thread is up?!! I have a couple but when it comes to buffalo nickels, I only have one and it's really old. In short, I wouldn't buy modern ones. just my 2 centavos!

 

OK Robert, If you do not know why I use the term Semper Fi, then there is not enough time nor space in which to educate you. Semper Fi

 

I would argue that the coins he uses have already been defaced by decades of circulation. They are just now semi-blank canvases used for his artwork.

Art haters unite . . . . .

I would ask if his creations are any different than this one?



Z

 

Semper Fi my bro.Do you need more coins?

 

Maybe another Marine would understand, but not being one...?
How about responses to the questions I asked and the comment about engraving?

 

My comment was not made in a negative way. My point being BOTH methods alter the coin, whether I like it or not does not matter, if the individual engraving the coins enjoys it as others do, then let them enjoy their hobby. You like to attempt to bring up a date by acid etching, doing so breaks the surface as does engraving. Semper Fi