When the "buffalo nickel" replaced the Liberty nickel as U.S. coinage in 1913, it became a favored medium for modification by amateur artists, because the large face of the Indian was well suited for alteration. Crude variations were made by true "hobos" using pocket knives and small tools. Other artists created more elaborate designs. In modern times, machine tooling and mass production have flooded the marketplace with concoctions that are considerably less desirable than the true hobo nickels of the 1920s.
(Photos from the Original Hobo Nickel Society and Wikipedia. Credit for the topic to Uncertain Times.)
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