Hobo Nickel

Looks like a modern version, just my opinion though.

Some resourceful crafts people have started carving such coins and selling them on ebay.

I'm no expert in this area, yet I'm inclined to suspect that this example may be a somewhat older issue rather than modern. One reason is the date, 1913. Another reason is that the artwork appears to me to have been done by hand tooling as opposed to use of a machine. Most of the moden ones I've seen have a manufactured look.

Check out the OHNS website at: http://hobonickels.org/

Some Hobo nickel artists can be identified by their artwork, their "brushstrokes" if you will. Having met some members of the OHNS at coin shows, they've been most helpful and informative to my experience, eager to share their knowledge.

It's true what Joe said about Hobo nickels being an artform and such. Yet, I'd not compare them with Obama dollars or describe them as being simply defaced currency. Some Hobo nickels have sold for thousands of dollars, being top-notch art. Hobo nickels aren't a fad, either. Better ones are eagerly sought by many afficionados.