Hobo Nickels - Unearthing Hobo History

Alexey is one of the top carvers today. For more info on the coins, check out hobo nickels.org and the hobo nickel group on facebook, or if you want to carve, the ANA summern seminar has a class this summer.

Go wolfhounds!

Joe Paonessa

This is one of the coolest I've seen. I'd have bought it had I found it sooner.

I really never seen any hobo nickels.. now that I'm seeing them I really like them especially those train ones!

Conder101, Why shouldn't they be referred to as hobo nickels? I have been carving and teaching hobo nickel carving for about 13 years and although I have heard people say they should be called something else, their reasons usually are more of a personal desire than something with a solid base. I sincerely would like to know your reason.

Thanks!

Joe Paonessa
America's greatest left handed hobo nickel carver (North of Chicago and West of Lake Michigan)

denco7, thanks for the reply. I only know of one carver using a Dremel as a finishing tool, most others that use a Dremel only use it for heavy metal removal before doing fine work with other tools. I use and teach hammer and chisel along with gravers and punches. Many people use pneumatic gravers like the GraverMach, Lindsay's Palm Control, or the Enset as they make the work easier, but this is NOT machine engraving. It still takes a hand to guide the tool. BTW, the pictures above of coins by Alexey Saboruv were done with a Palm Control and hand gravers. I've watched him work, he is amazingly talented. One more thing. Of the old first generation hobo nickels I have seen, the best show signs of professional tools and I know of three people who have coins that were passed down in their family and these pieces were known to be done by professional engravers. OK, now this is the last thing. The vast majority of old hobo nickels that show up in the OHNS auctions are on coins dated before 1920 and many are high grade so I would take the depression story with a grain of salt.

Joe

trying to make my own on a dateless buffy but I think I got the wrong tool

Well are you a Hobo? Homeless, wandering across the country doing odd jobs for people for your meals and a place to sleep that night? Carving your nickels totally by hand in just a few hours time in exchange for a meal? That's why the hobo nickels were usually carved.

I personally love the "Hobo Nickels" and or art coins. I really love the old originals, as well as a lot of the newer ones. Here is one that I created from a 1oz. silver round. It's a double sided coin and has a small 18k gold inlay.