Animal Skull Sculpture Information

Hobo Nickel

Early altered coins (1750s-1813)

The altering of coins dates to the 18th century or earlier. Beginning in the 1750s, the most common form of coin alteration was the “potty coin,” engraved on United States Seated Liberty coinage (half dime through trade dollar). This time period was also the heyday of the love token, which was made by machine-smoothing a coin (usually silver) on one or both sides, then engraving it with initials, monograms, names, scenes, etc., often with an ornate border. Hundreds of thousands of coins were altered in this manner. They were often mounted on pins or incorporated into bracelets and necklaces. The love token fad faded out in the early 20th century; love tokens engraved on buffalo nickels are rare.

During this time period, hobo-style coin alteration could be found outside the United States, primarily in Britain, France, and South Africa.

The Buffalo Nickel

Buffalo Nickel ~ 1913-38

When the Indian Head or Buffalo nickel was introduced in 1913, it became popular among coin engravers. The big Indian head was a radical departure from previous designs, and would not be seen on any subsequent coins. The large, thick profile gave the artists a larger template to work on, and allowed for finer detail.

On earlier coins, the head was much smaller in relation to the size of the coin. For example, on a Lincoln cent, the head covers about one-sixth of the area. On the Buffalo nickel, the Indian’s head occupies about five-sixths of the area. Moreover, the nickel is a larger coin. Large heads were sometimes found on earlier coins, such as the Morgan dollar and the Columbian half dollar commemoratives of 1892-3, but these coins were rarely altered because of their high value.

Another factor contributing to the Buffalo nickel’s popularity was the sex of the subject. Nearly all previous coins had depicted women (Liberty head nickels, Indian head cents, Barber and Morgan silver dollars). A male head has larger, coarser features (nose, chin, brow) that can be altered in many ways. Even the buffalo on the reverse could be changed into another animal or a man with a backpack.

Classic old hobo nickels (1913-1940)

Romines The Hobo Nickel p45

Many talented coin engravers, as well as newcomers, started creating hobo nickels in 1913, when the buffalo nickel entered circulation. This accounts for the quality and variety of engraving styles found on carved 1913 nickels. More classic old hobo nickels were made from 1913-dated nickels than any other pre-1930s date.

Many artists made hobo nickels from the tens to twenties, with new artists joining in as the years went by. The 1930s saw many talented artists adopting the medium. Bertram Wiegand, known almost exclusively as Bert, began carving nickels in the teens, and his student George Washington Hughes, known as Bo, began carving in the late teens (and up to 1980). During this period, buffalo nickels were the most common nickels in circulation.

Later old hobo nickels (1940-1980)

The forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies were a transitional period for hobo coin engravers, during which the buffalo nickel was gradually replaced by the Jefferson nickel. Some veteran old nickel carvers such as Bo and Bert continued making hobo nickels in the classic old style. Bo in fact did his best work in the early 1950s when he carved many spectacular cameo portrait hobo nickels.

During this 40-year period, many new carvers appeared, and style and subject matter became decidedly modern. Subjects became more ethnically and socially diverse (i.e. a Chinese woman with triangular hat, hippies with long hair and glasses, men wearing floppy hats, etc). Some of these new artists used new techniques such as power engravers, vibrating tools, and felt marker pens to add color to hair.

By the end of the seventies, the buffalo nickel had disappeared from circulation, and most engravings were performed on worn coins. “Bo”, for example, was forced to obtain buffalo nickels from coin dealers, some of whom commissioned carvings.

Modern hobo nickels (1980-present)

“Kami”

    -by Bill Jameson, 2005

Many carvers who were active during the 1960s and 1970s continued carving buffalo nickels into the 1980s. Their coins were altered using punches (dashes, dots, arcs, crescents, stars) and some carving of the profile. The area behind the head is usually rough from dressing with a power tool. They created standard design hobo nickels (derby and beard), as well as many modern subjects, such as occupational busts (fireman, railroad engineer, pizza chef), famous people (Uncle Sam, Einstein), hippies, and others.

A major event occurred in the early 1980s, demarcating the transition from “old” to “modern” hobo nickels. This was the publication of a series of articles by numismatist Del Romines, on the subject of hobo nickels. He soon published the first book on the subject, Hobo Nickels (ASIN B0006R7SFW), in 1982. Both centered on Bo and his carvings.

“Slumberer”

    -by Lee Griffiths, 2005

This resulted in some new artists entering the field, most of whom simply copied Bo’s nickel artwork from the illustrations in Romines’ book. The two major Bo-style copycats were John Dorusa and Frank Brazzell. Together they produced 20,000 or more modern carved nickels, most of which were copies of Bo’s designs. Dorusa even copied Bo’s “GH” signature (for “George Washington Hughes”) on many of this early creations. Pressure from prominent hobo nickel collectors such as Bill Fivaz convinced Dorusa to stop carving “GH” and put his own initials or name on his works. Dorusa and Brazzell also produced original works, featuring non-traditional subject matter (conquistadors, Dick Tracy, skulls, etc.) The large number of Bo copies led many collectors to label all modern carved nickels as “Neo-Bo’s”, a term no longer in use.

“Locomotive#620″

    -by Ron Landis, 2005

Other carvers also appeared in the 1980s and 1990s, introducing more modern subject matter (cartoon characters, witches, and animals). Most nickel carvers of the 1980s to mid 1990s are regarded by collectors as mediocre at best. But circa 1995, Ron Landis, an engraver in Arkansas, began creating superior quality carvings.

For about four years Landis was the only nickel carver creating superior carvings, at the rate of only one to two dozen per year (all signed, numbered, and dated). Many other professional engravers have since begun creating hobo nickels.

“BlackBeard”

    -by Sam Alfano, 2005

Some current prolific carvers are converting from quantity to quality: making fewer pieces of high artistic quality (as the market is flooded with lower quality quickly-made carvings). Modern carvings of Superior quality sell for about the same prices as classic old original carvings of equal quality by unknown artists.

The Original Hobo Nickel Society

The Original Hobo Nickel Society (OHNS) was created in 1992 for collectors primarily interested in classic old carved nickels. Nice classic old hobo nickels that were worth about $10 to $50 each in the 1980s rose in value to about $100 to $1000 each by the mid-1990s (prices have come down since then except for the top-quality works).

From the early 1980s to present, modern lesser-quality carvings could and still can be purchased for as little as $5 to $10 each. Many new collectors found it hard to obtain good quality old original hobo nickels (as they are so scarce and costly) so they began collecting the readily obtainable and cheap modern works.

The OHNS logo

Some OHNS Board members have expressed concern that too much emphasis is given to modern carvings and the artists making them and that proportionately too many modern pieces are appearing in recent OHNS auctions. Information is much more readily available for modern carvers and their creations than pertaining to classic old hobo nickel artists.

About 100,000 (and possibly as many as 200,000) classic hobo nickels were created from 1913 to 1980. Modern artists have created (and continue to create) altered nickels in such large quantities that, within the next few years, the number of modern carvings is expected to surpass that of classic old hobo nickels. Most of the 100,000-plus classic old hobo nickels are not yet in the hands of collectors, whereas almost all modern carvings are. Among numismatists, the modern carvings already greatly outnumber the classic old hobo nickels.

Music

The Ramblin Jug Stompers released an album in 2009 titled “Hobo Nickel”.

Published references

Stephen P. Alpert.Hobo Nickel Guidebook, 2001, 122 pages.

Bill Fivaz. “Reverse Carvings on Hobo Nickels”. Nickel News, Fall 1987

Delma K. Romines. Hobo Nickels. Newberry Park, CA: Lonesome John Publishing Co., 1982, 106 pp.

Joyce Ann Romines Hobo Carvings: An Exclusive Upgrade of Hobo Nickel Artistry, 1996, 108 pages.

Michael Wescott with Kendall Keck. The United States Nickel Five-Cent Piece: History and Date-by-Date Analysis. Wolfeboro, NH: Bowers & Merena, 1991

External links

Numismatics portal

Original Hobo Nickel Society, Numismatic community interested in carved coins, primarily 1913-1938 Buffalo Nickels. Both classic carved nickels and recent carved nickels are generically called “Hobo nickels”.

Nickel Carver’s ShowCase A collection of photos showing individual carvers and examples of their carvings where available. Includes currently active carvers, known classic carvers and “nicknamed” classic carvers.

Alpert’s Artist Galleries An expanded and updated online version of Steve Alpert’s Hobo nickel GuideBook.

Leech’s Hobo Style Nickels A collection of Hobo Nickels by modern hobo carver, Adam Leech.

Categories: Coins | Exonumia | Sculpture techniquesHidden categories: Articles lacking in-text citations from August 2009 | All articles lacking in-text citations
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I am China Products writer, reports some information about brake disc clock , vintage nfl jerseys.

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Animal Skull Sculpture Information

Gaudi, Gaudi Everywhere!

Each major city boasts a unique cultural icon that defines and shapes its image. Think of New York City and the Empire State Building comes immediately to mind. Picture Paris and the elegant curves of the Eiffel Tower springs into view. Sydney has its Opera House and London, the clock face of Big Ben. When it comes to Barcelona what other building but the Sagrada Familia encapsulates the spirit of this modern, laidback city so precisely?

Barcelona is imprinted with the genius, spirit and architecture of its most famous son – Antoni Gaudi. His most well known work is the ongoing construction of the Sagrada, but if you look closely enough his mark is everywhere in Barcelona, on flowery pavement tiles and ghostlike balconies, in phantasm parks and the curves of window sills. Almost all of Gaudi’s work is found in Barcelona, shaping the city with the creativity and energy of his buildings.

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia, or the Cathedral of the Holy Family, is different from any other cathedral you’ve seen before. Eighteen thin spires punctuate the air, the four tallest ones from 90 to 112 metres high. The number has a religious significance – it represents the twelve apostles, the four evangelists St. Matthew, St. John, St. Mark, and St. Luke, the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. From afar the stone walls of La Sagrada resembles nothing so much as a giant sandcastle, a child’s playtoy bedecked with glittering shards of beach-washed glass and shells.

Gaudi himself worked the main façade, which is dedicated to the theme of the Nativity. The façade shows biblical scenes and is peopled with life sized sculptures of birds, animals and children. The work on this incredible cathedral continues, a hundred years after its inception. Gaudi foresaw that his greatest work would not be completed in his lifetime, likening it to the erection of medieval cathedrals which took generations to complete. “My client is in no rush” he once famously said. La Sagrada is currently tipped to be completed in 2026, the year which also marks the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

The interior of the Sagrada is unlike any cathedral, whether Romanesque, Gothic or medieval. White branches of organic trees festooned with flowers reach up into the soaring ceiling and vivid stained glass windows lend radiance and colour to the walls. Gaudi’s work, as always, is informed by nature and the space and grace of the Sagrada is a world away from the dark, hushed insides of other European cathedrals. Instead, the Sagrada seems to celebrate the glory of natural shapes and light.

The cathedral is open from 9am to 8pm, April to September, and 9am to 6pm from October to March. On public holidays the cathedral closes at 2pm. Admission fees cost €11 and guided tours are €15. Audio guides are available, along with a variety of books and souvenirs from the bookshop. A trip up into one of the vertiginous towers of the Sagrada is worth it for the view of Barcelona’s skyline, but prepared for the long queue and the additional €2 charge.

Casa Batllo

The House of Bones, as this structure is known, has creamy grey skull shaped balconies dotted across its façade. Formerly a private residence, the insides of Casa Batllo is covered in iridescent cerulean, navy and cobalt tiles. Gaudi drew inspiration from the sea for this house, swirling the bony spine of a whale, undulating waves of water, fish gills and the graduated blues of the ocean into a staircase, the ceiling, windows and atrium of Casa Batllo. The rooftop represents St George and the dragon, with its twisting, dragon-claw chimneys and undulating dragon back, scaled in shiny tiles of red, green and yellow.

Casa Batllo is open from 9am to 8pm on most days, and the entrance fee of €16.50 includes an audio guide, helpful to gaining an understanding of how Gaudi’s genius leapt from natural inspiration to practical application.

Casa Mila

In the early 1900s, Gaudi was commissioned to build a private residence for a local businessman. Casa Mila, or La Pedrera, “The Quarry” as it is better known as, is a curvy, bone white building standing sentinel a few blocks away from Casa Batllo. Elaborate iron-wrought balconies weave across the façade, and its insides undulate through the top-floor flat and attic. The most popular part of the house is the rooftop, with its giant chimneys that look like medieval knights.

In the summer, from mid June to early July, La Pedrera is open on Friday and Saturday evenings for bookings to listen to live music and sip Catalan champagne. The roof is lit in an eerie, out of this world fashion and the night sky of Barcelona from here is worth a visit. Normal visiting hours are from 10am to 8pm and admission costs €8.

Parque Guell

If the hustle and bustle of Barcelona’s heaving streets gets a bit too much, pack a book and a snack, and set off to Park Guell, a UNESCO World Heritage site located on the outskirts of the city. Dotted with colourful mosaics and awash with stunning views, this is a fantasyland of a park.

At the entrance, Gaudi’s mosaic trencadis lizard guards the twin staircases leading up to a big square. Mottled in blue and green tiles, he greets visitors with a jaunty yawn as he basks in the sun. The park was originally commissioned as a garden city by Count Eusebio Guell, after whom it takes its name. The architecture here is bizarre and playful, again drawing on Gaudi’s love of nature. Giant decorative lizards drape themselves across stones, serpents slither across a decorative wall, and the tilting Hall of Columns play tricks on the mind’s eye. The park pavilions seem to come straight from a fairytale, covered with bright tiles and candy floss spires that look good enough to eat. Admission here is free, just bring along a pair of good shoes and a healthy dose of innate playfulness and your own imagination.

About the Author:

Guided tours in Barcelona. Book more then 55 tours in Barcelona online with BarcelonaCityTours.com

About the Author

Animal Skull Sculpture Question

Where can i take my girlfriend to eat this Saturday? ?

I’m 6’2″ dark skin, 200lbs and have a skull tattoo on my neck. I’m on work release from prison and haven’t been with a girl for 8 years. I met this 17yr old who diggs black dudes. Although I get the feeling she might only be 13 (she always talks about the arctic animals, the latest topic in school). Yesterday she gave me a platted sculpture and said she made it just for me. I guess what I’m asking is, should I take this relationship to the next level?

Hell to the no, my friend.

First of all, you are out of prison on work release….do you want to get back into prison because of jail bait?!

Stay away. There a bunch of legal chicks that are into black dudes too. Seriously.

Japanese Daruma Doll Dharma Good Luck Zen Statue Décor Collectible $13.99 This gorgeous Japanese Daruma Doll Dharma Good Luck Zen Statue Décor Collectible has the finest details and highest quality you will find anywhere! Our team prides ourselves on finding the best prices without reducing quality, and in this Eastern Enlightenments Collection, we have definitely done just that! The craftsmanship of this lovely Japanese Daruma Doll Dharma Good Luck Zen Statue Décor C…

Corsican Ram Skull and Horns Wall Trophy $59.95 For a classic drawing room or your own little corner of the world, this Toscano-exclusive is a trophy you won’t find anywhere else! One of the world’s most exotic animals, the Corsican ram boasts dramatically wide, curled horns admired around the globe. Hand-cast directly from the original, hang nature’s artwork from your walls with this quality designer resin, hand-finished trophy….

Ashtamangala Eight Auspicious Symbols Buddhist Dharmic Plaque Décor $27.99 This gorgeous Ashtamangala Eight Auspicious Symbols Buddhist Dharmic Plaque Décor has the finest details and highest quality you will find anywhere! Our team prides ourselves on finding the best prices without reducing quality, and in this Eastern Enlightenments Collection, we have definitely done just that! The craftsmanship of this lovely Ashtamangala Eight Auspicious Symbols Buddhist Dharmic P…

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Things with Wings: Ron Michajlyszyn

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