US Navy Buffalo Nickel... Thoughts? WW2? Edit - Better Pics!

It's what they call a hobo nickel. Supposedly back during the depression hobos would take a nickel and carve on it with a nail or file or whatever they had handy and turn it into something they could trade for a hot meal or some booze. Since then it's become a quirky art form, often involving sophisticated expensive equipment for carving and engraving on nickels and other coins. Some of the results are pretty wild. Here are some examples I found online.

I've got to add this one. Anyone who's into ancient coins will find it a ... HOOT!

Hobo Nickels aren't cheap to buy . Some run into hundreds of dollars. you did very well for $12 .

Cool nickel! Are hobo nickels considered a real type of coin? Like would NGC or PCGS grade it as hobo nickel, or heavily damaged?

Modern Hobo nickel.

Original depression era ones sell for $100 or more.

Modern ones are anywhere from a few bucks to several hundred for the fancy ones on ebay.

How do I know this one is modern?

The coin has wheel marks from a coin counting machine on the reverse.

Aside from the roller mark if you look at the lines the appear to have been made by a vibrating blade or point based on the incremental marks as you follow the lines.

Another giveaway is a lot of the originals were stamped using small chisels or punches and the reverse should show flattening like counterstamped coins.

I bought mine in 1989 or so and thought it was an original especially given the 1919 date and the amount of wear which would be consistent with depression era but I showed it to Joe P. (Badgermint on the forum) at one of our clubs meetings and he said it looked like it was made only a year ago until I told him I bought it almost 30 years ago then he said it looked like the work of someone who's name I don't remember but was made using some sore of tool again I don't remember the name. Maybe he will chime in if he sees this.

While mine looks like the same curved shaped chisel was used there is not deformation to the reverse indicating the use of a hammer and chisel.