#HOBO HEART MANUAL#

It’s believed that as many as 200,000 classic hobo nickels were created from 1913 to 1980, and many modern artists continue to practice the craft. From the 1940s, many new carvers appeared, and the design and subject matter of the coins began to change to reflect a contemporary style. But beware: there are modern-day knock-offs-called “neo-bos”-that are still circulating the niche market.ĭuring the 1930s, the Buffalo nickel remained the most popular among engravers, and many of the early coin engravers continued to prefer the classic coin after it was replaced by the Jefferson nickel in 1938. Nonetheless, Bo’s coins are still popular among Numismatists (people who collect coins and other related objects). The injury forced the once-great hobo nickel engraver to slow down his production, and his finished coins were no longer of the same high quality his fans were used to. At one point, while working on a nickel, his chisel suddenly slipped and struck his hand.

#HOBO HEART MANUAL#

The meticulous manual labor he endured to make his coins resulted in permanent damage to his hands. Sadly, Bo’s life reflected the economic depression at the time. Bertram Wiegand (aka Bert) was perhaps the most prolific hobo nickel artist from that time, along with his student, George Washington Hughes (aka Bo). These American hobo nickels started to emerge all over the country, and more and more people started to adopt the craft as the years went by. Regardless of the chosen design, artists spent hundreds of hours using chisels, knives, hammers, and any other object fit for shaping and etching metal. Some artists went another route and turned it into a walking man wearing a backpack. Even the reverse side of the coin (which features a buffalo) was often changed into another animal, such as a donkey or an elephant. The male head on the Buffalo nickel, by contrast, had larger characteristics that allowed artists more space for altering the face into all sorts of characters, including skulls, self-portraits, or their friends.

Nearly all older coins were adorned with female heads (such as the Liberty Head nickel). The large, thick metal template allowed more room for finer details and elaborate designs-a shift in convention. Read on to discover the history of hobo nickels, as well as how today’s artists are modernizing the craft.Ī post shared by Vladislav Alexandrov on at 12:30pm PDT But the artistic tradition still remains relevant today many craftspeople are still practicing the art of engraving onto old pocket change. These hand-held bas relief sculptures were a reflection of the individual's character, etched into the gleaming metal coin forever.ĭecades later, original hobo nickels are still sought after collector coins.

They would alter classic coins by engraving their own designs onto the circular metal surfaces using knives and other makeshift tools. Named after the people who popularized the craft, hobo nickels were made by wandering “hobos” (people who often traveled by hopping freight trains) in the U.S. The term “ hobo nickel” might not sound like anything special, but don't be so quick to judge-it's an impressive art form. A post shared by SteveOrino on at 7:34pm PDT

Hobo heart