2017-01-04 Wed

On 7th January, Florida United Numismatists Convention in Fort Lauderdale will be offering two original works by famous hobo nickel carver George Washington "Bo" Hughes: a long-haired man and a clown. The former is executed before a hand injury and the latter, after. Original carved Indian Head 5-cent coins were sold for a maximum of a few 100 dollars in early auction.

Recently, the 1920-1950 well-known hobo nickel carvers have individually have fetched thousands of dollars. Modern artists and pioneers like Hughes have made these coins with their own techniques.

The coin was designed before the hand injury features an Indian Head portrait with long-hair and a bearded man on the obverse of the undated Indian Head, Bison on Plain 5-cent coin. The date 1920 is inscribed in Roman numerals. The coin that was designed after the injury is a circa 1957 coin and is carved on the obverse of a 1936 Indian Head 5-cent coin and the portrait is changed into a circus clown.