Hobo Nickels

[1970 silver art]

I think that hobo nickel collecting is considered to be part of numismatic coin collecting.

I would like to thank Heimdhal for telling me about hobo nickels in Sunday chat a while back. I googled hobo nickels to see what he was talking about and the images that I saw just blew my mind. I really like the artwork on some of these hobo nickels. I have spent some time looking on ebay to get a feel how much these cost and looking on various websites on the internet to try to learn more about hobo nickels.

Hobo nickels are nickels where artists have modified nickels (mainly buffalo nickels) by carving out designs on the front (and reverse) side to depict various people and other works of art. I think that these artists have used knives and other tools to carve out the designs. I also have seen some modern hobo nickels in which modern nickels (ex: 2005 year nickel) were used to make various art themes and designs on them.

Heimdhal also gave me this website on hobo nickels and this appears to be a very good website for people who like collecting hobo nickels. The website is the following:

http://www.hobonickels.org/

I plan to go to this website more to try to learn more about hobo nickels and I also plan to eventually get the Hobo Nickel Guidebook that is on that website. That looks like that might be a valuable tool for me to learn more about them. It sells for $30 + shipping according to their website. There are also some more information on internet on hobo nickels.

I also found some other websites on hobo nickels that will help me learn more about them. They are:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_nickel

2. http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/coins/worden-coinage0706a.htm

I will have to say that this can be a very expensive hobby and I do not plan to buy hobo nickels on a regular basis unless I can find one locally for a decent price. Some of the prices that I have seen on hobo nickels are in the $100-$300 range for some of the best ones. I have also seen some on ebay that sell for $20-$30 but not many of them sell for $20-$30 on ebay from what I have seen. These hobo nickels are very fine pieces of art work in my opinion.

I still have a lot to learn about hobo nickels but I love them and I started looking for them locally at my local coin dealers. I saw some on ebay that I liked very much but I cannot afford them because some of them are $100, $200, and I saw some for $300. I decided to go out today and see what hobo nickels I can find locally. I went to one coin shop that usually sells numismatic coins and I did find one that I liked but he was selling it for $200 and I had to pass on that one. I think that hobo nickel was a 1936 Buffalo Nickel. I went to my main local coin dealer that I usually go to to buy silver art bars and I did see one hobo nickel that I liked for $25.00. I ended up buying it. Here is what it looks like:

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/1stHoboNickelFront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/1stHoboNickelBack.jpg

It is in a 2 X 2 holder. It is a hobo nickel that was created from a Buffalo nickel but I do not know the year mint of the Buffalo nickel since the year was carved out when the artist carved out the design. I do not know the artist that created this hobo nickel but I like this one very much. I suspect that there were many hobo nickel artists out there that it is hard to keep up with how many hobo nickel artists there are. This is my very first hobo nickel and this hobo nickel also represents my first time venturing into coin collecting in the true sense of the word.

I am a novice at hobo nickel collecting. If there are any coin collectors in the GSUS community that collect hobo nickels, then feel free to give me any pointers on what prices to look for when shopping for them or any pointers on hobo nickel collecting in general. I also plan to look at those websites that I mentioned in this thread to help me out. I also plan to try to find more hobo nickels when I go to my next coin show. Also, if anybody in the GSUS community has any hobo nickels that they have, then feel free to post them on this thread if you want to.

[k-os]

I looked them up a few years ago . . . who knows, maybe Heimdhal recommended them to me as well, I can't remember.

I thought they were really cool, but instead of buying them, I wanted to make some. I failed miserably, unfortunately. If I had succeeded, I'd give you one. ;)

Hey, you gotta start somewhere with your new hobby. Have fun!

[Heimdhal]

Glad you enjoy them ArtBar. I thought you would. I think they are great. They can get expensive, but they are definitley a class of folk art all themselves and very, very interesting. Next coin show I may pick up a couple myself for the right price.

[StackerKen]

What do folks usually use to carve those? A Dremel?

I was just looking at ebay thinking of getting some Buffalo nickels, thinking my wife might try her hand at it.

they are pretty cool to start with

http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!B2V!P8gB2k~$KGrHqIOKjQET+6KBE+BMiBnTHvDg~~_1.JPG? set_id=8800005007

[1970 silver art]

Glad you enjoy them ArtBar. I thought you would. I think they are great. They can get expensive, but they are definitley a class of folk art all themselves and very, very interesting. Next coin show I may pick up a couple myself for the right price.


At the next coin show that I plan to go to, I will try to find some more hobo nickels that I like to collect. This is a very interesting hobby and I am liking it, however, I will also say that '70's silver art bar collecting will always be my first priority when I go to coin shows. Hobo nickel collecting will be my second priority. There seem to be a lot of different hobo nickels out there. Thanks Heimdhal for getting me interested in hobo nickel collecting. I am really starting to like this hobby. :)

Whenever I find and buy more hobo nickels in the future, then I will post one on this thread.

[k-os]

What do folks usually use to carve those? A Dremel?

I was just looking at ebay thinking of getting some Buffalo nickels, thinking my wife might try her hand at it.

they are pretty cool to start with

http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!B2V!P8gB2k~$KGrHqIOKjQET+6KBE+BMiBnTHvDg~~_1.JPG? set_id=8800005007


My big failure was with a dremel tool. If Playswithfire does end up trying this, may I put in a request for a turtle? |--0--|

[1970 silver art]

What do folks usually use to carve those? A Dremel?

I was just looking at ebay thinking of getting some Buffalo nickels, thinking my wife might try her hand at it.

they are pretty cool to start with

http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!B2V!P8gB2k~$KGrHqIOKjQET+6KBE+BMiBnTHvDg~~_1.JPG? set_id=8800005007


I think that the earlier hobo nickels artists used knives to carve out the images. I think that a lot of these hobo nickels were done during the Great Depression since I have seen a lot of hobo nickels online on ebay that were carved out of 1930's Buffalo nickels. That sounded like a lot of work and it also sounded like it took a lot of time to complete.

[StackerKen]

My big failure was with a dremel tool. If Playswithfire does end up trying this, may I put in a request for a turtle? |--0--|


OK

But so far, it is just my idea for her to try it....not her's....lol

[k-os]

My big failure was with a dremel tool. If Playswithfire does end up trying this, may I put in a request for a turtle? |--0--|


OK

But so far, it is just my idea for her to try it....not her's....lol


Yep, I get that.

[madfranks]

Here's a hobo nickel I picked up a few years ago. I got it because I used to be a pizza driver when I was younger. :)

[MNeagle]

http://i.ebayimg.com/02/!B2V!P8gB2k~$KGrHqIOKjQET+6KBE+BMiBnTHvDg~~_1.JPG? set_id=8800005007 http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/1stHoboNickelFront.jpg http://gold-silver.us/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=12989.0;attach=393 9;image


Just so I can see them side-to-side for comparison...


Very interesting thread. Imagine how many are buried around railroad tracks & old campsites?

[Playswithfire]

You know I have to try this... LOL

But these are done using gravers and chisels, which I don't have. It would be nearly impossible to do it with a dremel.

[1970 silver art]

I was on ebay this morning looking at hobo nickels and I saw a lot of them. A lot of them were out of my price range but I found several hobo nickels on ebay that I liked at what I thought was a decent price in my opinion. As a result, I bought a hobo nickel on ebay this morning for a total price of $18.50. I cannot wait to get it in the mail. Once I get it in the mail, then I will take pictures of it and I will post those pics on this thread. This is my first ebay purchase of a hobo nickel.

[madfranks]

I was on ebay this morning looking at hobo nickels and I saw a lot of them. A lot of them were out of my price range but I found several hobo nickels on ebay that I liked at what I thought was a decent price in my opinion. As a result, I bought a hobo nickel on ebay this morning for a total price of $18.50. I cannot wait to get it in the mail. Once I get it in the mail, then I will take pictures of it and I will post those pics on this thread. This is my first ebay purchase of a hobo nickel.


Cool - looking forward to the pics!

[1970 silver art]

Note: This post got "lost" in the moving process but it is no problem. I saved what I wrote.

I just got my hobo nickel ebay order yesterday (Sept. 25, 2010) in the mail. Here is what it looks like:

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Newspaperclown.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Newspaperclownback.jpg

It is a J Press "Newspaper Hat Clown" hobo nickel that is a 1935 Buffalo nickel. I paid $18.50 for it on ebay. The "J PRESS" stamp on the reverse side of the nickel is where J. Press signed it. J Press is the hobo nickel artist and J Press stands for John F. Press. I looked on the internet to find some more information on John F. Press. I found some information on this hobo nickel artist from the following online source:

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

Here is what hobonickels.org says about this arthur (considered a Early Modern Artist (1980's to mid-1990's)):


John F. Press 9/20/46-3/10/83

John F. Press began making hobo nickels circa 1980, and died 1983. He taught J.Allen (see below) how to make hobo nickels, and their works are very similar in style. He signed his hobo nickels “J.PRESS” using a metal die, counterstamped on the buffalo. Hobo nickels signed by J.Press are much scarcer than those of J.Allen.

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

Overall, I love this hobo nickel and the ebay transaction was smooth and there were no problems at all. I am starting to really like collecting hobo nickels. It is different from what I am used to collecting.

[1970 silver art]

I found what appears to be a good beginner's guidebook for me on Hobo Nickels.......

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/HoboNickelGuide.jpg

"Hobo Nickel Guidebook" by Stephen P. Alpert

I did not see one on ebay but I found and bought this one on Amazon for $30 + shipping. This guidebook was published in 2001 but I think that there is a revised 2010 version on the www.HoboNickels.org website. I just got it today in the mail and I did not look completely through it but I briefly thumbed through some of the pages of this guidebook. There is one thing in this guidebook that was very helpful to me and that was discussing the characteristics of modern hobo nickels. This guidebook also had some information on various hobo nickel artists. Based on what little I read of this guidebook so far, I like this guidebook. This guidebook is a reference book for me since I am still learning about hobo nickels.

[1970 silver art]

A recent ebay purchase of a hobo nickel lot that I just got in the mail today...............


http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Maleplayerfront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Maleplayerback.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Femaleplayer.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Femaleplayerback.jpg


The first 2 pictures is one of a "Baseball Player" hobo nickel. It was carved out of a 1935 Buffalo nickel and it was signed by J Press (see post # 14 for more information on J Press).

The last two pictures is one of a "Female Player" hobo nickel. It was carved out of a 1936 Buffalo nickel and it was signed on the reverse by J Allen. According to Stephen P. Alpert's guidebook called "Hobo Nickel Guidebook", J Allen is a female hobo nickel artist from Rochester, New York. She is considered an "Early modern artist" because she started creating hobo nickels in 1982.

I bought this late last week as a lot on ebay and I paid a total $33.00 for these two hobo nickels.

[Horn]

I like those,

we could start sellin these things, Art, I got a dremel, and a magnifyin glass.

[k-os]

I like those,

we could start sellin these things, Art, I got a dremel, and a magnifyin glass.


I tried with a dremel, and failed.

[Horn]

I like those,

we could start sellin these things, Art, I got a dremel, and a magnifyin glass.


I tried with a dremel, and failed.


You also need a good set of clamps... ;)

[Liquid]

Very cool.

If I get laid off, I may try to make one as well.

[1970 silver art]

Yep. This is proof that hobos love their Harleys. :D ;D

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/HarleyHoboFront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/HarleyHoboBack.jpg

I bought this today at a coin show for $40.00.

[1970 silver art]

Another Hobo nickel find at a coin show............

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Coinshowhobofront1.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/Coinshowhoboback1.jpg


I bought this hobo nickel today on the second day of a coin show this weekend. I paid $8.00 for this Hobo Nickel. I do not know the year of this nickel since it was carved out. The buffalo nickel that the artwork was carved on does not appear to be in the greatest shape and that is why it looks "dark" in the picture. I did the best that I could with taking a picture of it.

[k-os]

Thanks for providing pictures of your new finds! They are interesting little works of art.

[1970 silver art]

Well Well Well........It appears to me that nickel is also a DOG. Here is the proof..................

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/DOGnickel.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/DOGnickelpart2.jpg

I went hobo nickel hunting today at various coin shops and other places throughout parts of TN and north GA today and I found this very interesting hobo nickel. It is a "Dog" hobo nickel. I bought it at a flea market and I paid $36.00 for it. This is the first hobo nickel that I have where the reverse was carved out instead of the front of the nickel. This hobo nickel was created by Keith Pedersen. The "KP" on the "dog tag" stands for Keith Pedersen.

[SeekYeFirst]

Silver Art, you really got into the collectibles. Nice artwork. Are you going to rename this thread? Maybe "Hobo Porn?" ;D

[1970 silver art]

Silver Art, you really got into the collectibles. Nice artwork. Are you going to rename this thread? Maybe "Hobo Porn?" ;D


Nah. I plan to just keep the name of "Hobo Nickels" as the title of this thread. My love for hobo nickels is growing and I like collecting them. Hobo Nickels is my first entry into coin collecting in the true sense of the word. However, there are two things that I have learned since I started collecting hobo nickels in September. They are:

1.) They are very hard to find locally. My local coin dealers usually do not have these in their stores even though they sell numismatic coins. Ever since I started collecting hobo nickels, I bought only 1 hobo nickel from a local coin dealer and that is the hobo nickel that is in my OP. Most of the hobo nickels that I currently have I have bought from ebay and most of those hobo nickels that I bought on ebay are created by a hobo nickel artist known as J Press. I have also had some luck in finding hobo nickels at local coin shows.

2.) This can be a very expensive hobby. There are some original hobo nickels and other hobo nickels from very well known artists such as George Washington "Bo" Hughes that can easily cost in the $1000's of dollars. I do not have any original hobo nickels and the hobo nickels that I currently have in my collection are all modern hobo nickels that were created by modern era hobo nickel artists. I have spent between $8 to $40 for each hobo nickel that I have in my collection. $50 is probably the most amount of money that I am willing to spend on a hobo nickel.

I have not done this yet but I plan to put all of my hobo nickels in a Whitman Coin Folder that is specifically made for putting buffalo nickels in. I still have a lot to learn about hobo nickels and I also plan to read more information in the Hobo Nickel Guidebook (see post # 15).

[k-os]

I wish I could make you one, Outlaw. It would be an orange juice container. ;D Or maybe a dog, but I would make it a chihuahua!

[1970 silver art]

My most recent hobo nickel purchase....................

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ChineseSoldierFront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ChineseSoldierBack.jpg

I am making a wild guess here but it appears to be a Chinese soldier. This hobo nickel was carved by Keith Pedersen. I bought this last Saturday (Nov. 29) at a flea market and I paid $31 for it.

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ChineseSoldierBackpart2.jpg

KP = Keith Pedersen's "signature".

[SeekYeFirst]

Not a hobo "nickel" but a great idea anyway. Conquistador of death:
http://cgi.ebay.com/HOBO-COIN-Nickel-Human-BALBOA-SKULL-Art-Carving-JH-74-/260702339097?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb3120019

[1970 silver art]

I bought this hobo nickel on ebay last Sunday (Dec. 5) and it came in the mail today..................

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ProfessID.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ProfessFront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ProfessBack.jpg

The "Distinguished Professor" hobo nickel. Created by the carver known only as "SG". I paid $14.68 for it.

[1970 silver art]

My first hobo nickel purchase of 2011...........

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ShowMeFront.jpg

http://i741.photobucket.com/albums/xx54/COScollect/ShowMeBack.jpg

I bought this today at a coin show and I paid $8.00 for it. The artist is unknown. On the front of nickel, the Indian Head "hat" says "Show Me The Money". The nickel was not in the greatest of shape when it was carved out. I did not find many hobo nickels at the coin show.

[gunDriller]

just out of curiosity - how come they rarely use Jefferson nickels for this ?

[1970 silver art]

just out of curiosity - how come they rarely use Jefferson nickels for this ?


Honestly I do not know gunDriller. I have see a few Hobo Nickels that were made from Jefferson Nickels but not many. I will make a wild guess here by saying that maybe the Indian Head obverse of a Hobo nickel is easier to work with as opposed to a Jefferson obverse.

:dunno