Buffalo nickel goes 'round the outside
May 17, 2010 9:31 PM   Subscribe

What can you tell me about this WWII-era altered nickel coin?

My dad was given this coin, which is an altered WW2-era buffalo nickel. I've managed to discover a tiny reference to POW nickels (scroll down), but not much more. Nebraska's Ft. Richardson, referenced on the coin holder, was a German POW camp during WW2.

So what's it all about? What's the carved picture supposed to be? And what's it worth?
posted by BlahLaLa to Grab Bag (4 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: I think this is likely a "hobo nickel". Here's a vintage ad depicting a similar caricature.
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:10 PM on May 17, 2010


That's obviously a very negative stereotyped image of a Jewish man. This was made by a German soldier in a POW camp here in America? Another reason to be happy that Nazi Germany lost the war.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 10:13 PM on May 17, 2010 [2 favorites]


No speculation as to the value of the coin, but if it really is from Fort Robinson, uh, you do realize that it's basically a Jewish caricature carved by a German P.O.W?
posted by drumcorpse at 10:16 PM on May 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


Best answer: see also, the hobo nickel showcase. Lots of coins similar to yours there. It appears value depends on whether it's a vintage alteration or a modern one. Here's a completed ebay auction for a coin similar to yours. As with any other collectible, there may be intricacies to pricing that are not apparent to the untrained eye.
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:16 PM on May 17, 2010


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