101092 | UNITED STATES. "JFK Mohawk Skull" engraved "hobo nickel" Half Dollar.

101092 | UNITED STATES. "JFK Mohawk Skull" engraved "hobo nickel" Half Dollar (30mm, 11.06 g, 12h). By Valerie "Goonie" Vaughan.

 

1974 Philadelphia mint Kennedy half dollar, with engraving upon host coin's obverse: skull over most of Kennedy's portrait, with patterned backgound; "V V" signature upon the host coin's reverse. Edge: Reeded.

 

Cf. KM 202b (for host coin); The Kennedy World in Medallic Art, p. 213, K-74-20 (this coin illustrated and cited). Engraving: Almost Uncirculated; Host coin: Extremely Fine. An interesting modern hobo nickel that is published. Includes the reference in which it is imaged and cited.

 

Related to love tokens, "hobo nickels" are a form of engraved coin art that grew out of the hard times of the Great Depression, whereby coins such as the buffalo nickel were engraved on one or both sides with various images replacing the Native American and/or buffalo. This artistry continues to this day, with artists of varying skills trying their hand at the medium. While the engraving of skulls on coins has become rather ubiquitous over the past decade, the present piece is one of the earlier types to be ahead of this craze. Adding to the allure, this coin—entitled JFK Mohawk Skull—has been published in the recent reference The Kennedy World in Medallic Art by William R. Rice, a comprehensive guide on all things numismatic in the Kennedy world.

 

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