Hobo Coins

[apush]

Anyone ever find a Hobo coin in the wild? Seen one bid on ebay for $100 bucks.

apush

 

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[Ltrain]

Nope, never seen one in the wild. Would be awesome to find one though.

 

[timbobwey]

If you search a lot of nickels you might find one, that's the coin they typically made them out of, the buffalo nickels. I haven't ever seen one, but I've seen pics of them. Some of the art is unbelievable. I wish I had one. I might even try to make one someday, just have to be really good with a drummel.

 

[$ilver$urfer]

No, but I can't wait to find one...in addition to a few US Commemoratives, a magicians coin, etc. The only 'special' coin I have found is one gold-plated counterstamped half (1960-1985) in excellent condition - although I'd take a silver half over that and a hobo coin any day.

HH,

$ilver$urfer

 

[Ltrain]

If you search a lot of nickels you might find one, that's the coin they typically made them out of, the buffalo nickels. I haven't ever seen one, but I've seen pics of them. Some of the art is unbelievable. I wish I had one. I might even try to make one someday, just have to be really good with a drummel.

Dremel. And I believe they're done by hand, not by machine.

 

[jeff of pa]

If you search a lot of nickels you might find one, that's the coin they typically made them out of, the buffalo nickels. I haven't ever seen one, but I've seen pics of them. Some of the art is unbelievable. I wish I had one. I might even try to make one someday, just have to be really good with a drummel.

Dremel. And I believe they're done by hand, not by machine.

Originals were most likely done with a pocket knife.
(1913 to 1938)



http://www.hobonickels.org/



Today I Can see somone using a Dremel, since
Unfortunately They are still making them &
there is even a collector intrest in new ones .
New ones can bring $200 on EBay



Some of the altered coins have been found in circulation in Hoboken, N.J., and the Department of Justice has been asked to apprehend the distributors. • “The Numismatist”, Vol. 31, page 257.

I Guess for making coins too intresting
to look at

 

[$ilver$urfer]

On Second Thought...

I might trade a 40%er or two for one of those hobo coins - I wasn't really sure what they were until just reading about them and they are kind of cool!

HH,

$ilver$urfer

 

[Argentium]

Silver Surfer , I can assure you , you definitely would trade numerous 90%ers for an authentic
hobo nickel - the collector demand for first generation hobo nickels is so strong , that it has
spawned demand for even brand new editions created with power tools (dremel etc.).
Apush , this is a fascinating thread - I too posted the question a while back , as to whether
anybody had metal detected one - the responses I got were something like ; "these are so
rare , that your chances of digging one are slim and none , and slim left town !" Argentium.

 

[timbobwey]

Ltrain,
using a "dremel" is still doing it by hand, it's just like putting a tattoo on someone, you use a machine to do it, but it's still art because it's done by hand.

 

[P.B. and Dylan]

Never found one but after seeing these for the first time (about two years ago), I looked at areial photos from the 30's in an attempt to find old hobo camps along the railroads in my area. No success so far. Of course even if I found an old hobo camp it would still be a long shot to discover one of these there.

 

[jeff of pa]

although Conjecture on my part,
I Never had it Authenticated, but
found in '99 along a Rail Road Bed,
that follows the Susquehanna River
is almost paper thin.
Back is blank

 

[ThTx]

FYI from the Dept of the Treasury's website.

"Section 331 of Title 18 of the United States code provides criminal penalties for anyone who “fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the Mints of the United States.” This statute means that you may be violating the law if you change the appearance of the coin and fraudulently represent it to be other than the altered coin that it is. As a matter of policy, the U.S. Mint does not promote coloring, plating or altering U.S. coinage: however, there are no sanctions against such activity absent fraudulent intent."

 

[apush]

Okay Thtx,
So, you would turn a hobo coin into the feds instead of keeping it? LOL

apush

 

[jaystuw]

Yeah, I also watch hobo nickles on e-bay. It's kind of neat to see the re-birth of a folk art. The new carvers are clever and talented, some of their work is jaw dropping good. Collectors pay hundreds and many times, thousands of dollars for good work . The better and best hobos i don't think will be found in rolls. Just to much time,effort and talent invested by the maker to spend at face value! however, better and best is not really what happens the first time a guy sits down and starts carving. He's going to make a lot of OK, so-so and average looking coins as he learns and evolves and improves his skills. those are the coins I would expect to find in rolls. Happy hunting! John

 

[SFBayArea]

Didn't know there was such a market for good ones. I bet I could make one too if I had all the right tools. The only issue I have with it is all the nickel dust getting everywhere which isn't good health wise.

 

[ThTx]

Naw, I wouldn't turn anything or anyone into the feds. Unless they messed up my hunt some way, then all bets are off! Watch out Pyledriver!LOL

 

[SFBayArea]

Don't think this Hobo coin thing is a big issue since it's done slowly to very few coins at a time. I've never found one but then again I don't search nickels. I think if it was an issue, the Feds would tell Ebay and Ebay would shut down those auctions.