A hobo nickel is a coin with a portrait or other image on it that blends in well with the original image on the coin. Although the techniques for carving these coins have evolved over time, the tools and materials required are typically low-cost. According to legend, a traveling man without money could take a single nickel and turn it into a work of art, which he could then exchange for more than the nickel was worth. Almost all hobo nickels have a face on them, though some people alter the non-face image to make animals or other shapes. Some people collect hobo nickels, and the history of these objects and their creators can be deduced from the artistic conventions employed by specific artists.
Although coin engraving as an art form predates the introduction of the hobo nickel, the physical characteristics of nickels made it a popular choice among engravers. Nickels are a great medium for engravers because they are soft, large, and easy to work with. Potty coins were the most popular engraving coins before hobo nickels. Many of the techniques used to carve these coins were also used to carve nickels.
The art on a hobo nickel is partly determined by the art provided on the coin. This means that as nickel designs evolved, the art carved into them evolved as well. Because of the large face found on buffalo nickels, most nickels have a profile portrait of some kind. The nose, ear, and beard of this face are frequently changed during the carving process. It is also possible to carve trains, camels, and other figures into the buffalo side of a buffalo nickel.
Although a signed hobo nickel is not uncommon, some nickels are thought to have been created by the same artist because they have similar artistic qualities. Ears, noses, and beards were frequently carved in highly distinctive ways, making it easy to identify coins carved by the same artist. Although the identity of these carvers is unknown, it is possible to learn something about their lives by tracing their artwork.
Current coin engravers still work with nickels, as coin engraving is still a popular art form. A modern hobo nickel is typically used as art rather than as a means of exchange. Nickels with special materials, such as gold or enamel, are engraved by some engravers. Additional designs and details are possible with the use of special tools.