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5 Cents "Buffalo" - Man with Glasses Hobo
| Issuer | United States Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | A fantastical hobo-style engraved effigy of a male face facing forward, wearing large ornate goggle-like spectacles with intricate mechanical detailing on each lens. The subject's flowing, wildly curling hair fills the field around the face. The date 1937 appears in the lower left field, and the legend LIBERTY is inscribed vertically along the right rim. The overall artistic style is characteristic of modern hobo nickel carving, with deeply incised relief and highly stylized decorative elements replacing the original Buffalo nickel obverse design. |
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| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | LIBERTY 1937 |
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| Additional information |
Hobo nickels are carvings made from Buffalo nickels — most commonly the 1913–1938 Indian Head type — whose high-relief portrait provided sufficient metal depth for a skilled carver to rework entirely with gravers, punches, and sometimes dental tools. The tradition flourished among itinerant workers and hobos during the Depression, when a nickel was worth spending but apparently also worth transforming into a calling card or trade piece. Glasses are among the more common modifications, typically added by incising curved lines and drilling shallow lens recesses — simple work that nonetheless distinguishes amateur cuts from serious carvers.