coin store | Nashua Coins and Collectibles

Hobo Nickels

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What is a Hobo Nickel?

For those of you uninitiated, the hobo nickel became popular during The Depression when homeless people or “Hobo’s” would carve the Indian face on the nickel and create many different faces on American coins by hand. Often, they traded their artworks for a meal or other necessaries in their travels. These nickels are highly collectible. Some well-known Hobo artist creations garner huge prices during an auction. A single original hobo nickel went for a record price of $24,200 Jan. 12 during the Original Hobo Nickel Society’s 21st annual auction at the FUN show in Florida.

The record lot, once part of the Bill Fivaz Collection, surfaced in the late 1930s by hobo George Washington “Bo” Hughes. “Bo” was one of the most prolific and talented carvers of nickels. To this day, many actively seek his works. The record price was for the great two-sided “dicer” hobo nickel. More than 50 classics, nicknamed and modern carvers were present in the sale.

History

The altering of coins dates back to the 18^th century and earlier. Altering hit its peak in the 1850’s. The most common alteration was the “potty coin,” engraved on US seated liberty coins from half cents to dollars. Also popularized during this period were “Love Token” primarily on silver coins. These usually contained engraved initials. However, these typically came to be by smoothing one surface of the coin and using engravers tools to produce more stylized artistic pieces for jewelry pendants and bracelets.

With the advent of the Buffalo nickel in 1913, the large thick profile of the Indian gave artists a larger template to work on. It became popular quickly.

Another attribution for the medium is that the name “Hobo Nickel” came from the city of Hoboken New Jersey just after World War I. This is due to the fact that there was a widespread practice of off-duty soldiers carving nickels with military likenesses. These were tributes to returning veterans. Regardless of the source, many seek these American coins today.

“I was able to purchase a couple of these for Laurie in Manchester. I believe the military one is from the 1903’s where the “Sleepy Head” coin is probably sometime later. Laurie love’s them, so that’s all that is important.” Gary was able to show me the display that Laurie set up at Nashua Coins & Collectibles showing off her Hobo Nickel collection. Laurie feels that this is one of the items that bring many aspects of their business together. That makes her loves these American coins even more! For more information about hobo nickels or what we have to offer, visit Nashua Coins & Collectibles or give us a call at (855)-287-2218!

You Can Now Get Antiques For The Holidays

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While it isn’t even December yet, plenty of people like to plan and buy items for the holiday season. Whether it’s splurging on themselves or something for loved ones, plenty of shoppers can find something to enjoy at our coin store that doubles as an antique haven!

We’re not the only people who appreciate our efforts, either. On October 25th, we received the distinct honor of earning the Best Collectibles amongst other nominees in the Best of Greater Nashua 2017 campaign. It was our third consecutive win! It’s all thanks to our customers who voted for us!

Nashua Coins is proud to own this award. It is a reminder that we go beyond what you’d expect from a coin store and are a truly unique business. While you get coins appraised, you can do some holiday shopping and find utterly unique antiques and vintage jewelry. These items will make gift giving an exceptional experience. You just cannot see what we offer anywhere else.

The holidays will be here before we all know it. We think our vast selection of collectibles is something to consider while you shop around and try to find the perfect gift(s) for your loved ones. We can’t promise you’ll find the hottest item on the market. Still, you will find something that sets your gifts apart from the rest of the pack!

Owning a business is not easy work. Not only do you need to do what you offer well, but you also have to be unique enough to make an impact. Our antique selection sets us apart as a coin store in the industry. We encourage you to visit us and see why we earned Best Collectibles for three years in a row! For more information about our selection and our store in general, give us a call at (603)-718-1018. See what we can do for you today!

Why This Coin Store Supports The Performing Arts Center

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If you’ve shopped at Nashua Coins & Collectibles before, you can plainly see and understand what we do. Coins and antiques are our passion. We love sharing them with our customers. However, we have beliefs and passions outside of the coin store or business aspects of our lives. For example, we are passionate about our city and want to see Nashua thrive. We believe it’s a great place to live, work, and shop as it is. Now, there’s something that could make it even better.

Nashua Coins & Collectibles is in favor of the Performing Arts Center coming to Downtown Nashua. It could bring job opportunities, an appreciation for the arts, and talent to our city. Plus, it could bring even more customers to our coin store! It’s a win-win for both passionate artists and business owners. Artists get to have a center to express themselves, and companies earn more capital. They also could expand their hours. We think Laurie put it best:

“Bringing a Performing Arts Center to the heart of Downtown Nashua could be one of the best things the City of Nashua does for the community. It would allow people to come together for one purpose, to spend a few hours together in harmony, without any boundaries.” – Laurie Galbo

Though we own business focused on coins and antiques, we still love supporting other businesses and our city. We believe anyone who wants to see Nashua thrive should, too. Though the initial vote to move the performing arts center was unsuccessful, there is another chance to make it happen on November 7th. You can read more about that here.

The arts are an exciting, beautiful form of self-expression, and Nashua Coins & Collectibles believes it would be a shame to deny artists their space. We urge you to learn more about the center and make an educated choice on November 7th. Of course, in the meantime, you can come to our coin store and talk about it with us or find your next favorite coin or collectible! We’re happy to share our knowledge with customers and engage with them.

Visiting An Antique Store Can Change Everything

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The past intrigues and mystifies as we move forward into the technological age. While laptops, tablets, and phones that do more than the first computer could enamor us, we are still fascinated with aspects of the past. The past shapes us and brings us forward in ways we do not always understand. That is why an antique collection gathers attention from many individuals. Nostalgia, yearning for a simpler time, and an altogether sense of times long past make many people stop in their tracks.

Stopping into a store with antiques can do many things for an individual. Being in this kind of place humbles us and lets us take a step out of our lives into something simple. It can be an experience all on its own. This is especially true for the younger generations born into an era where technology has never existed. It seems that fewer and fewer individuals can take a step away and appreciate what the past had to offer.

You never know what you are going to find on a regular basis upon entry. You can find something that can inspire a story, a comic, a movie, anything you can imagine. Recently, the steampunk genre has become a sort of mix up of the best things from the past with the technology of today and beyond. Therefore, the inspiration is here and will continue to enable creativity like this.

A few years ago, an antique store in Boston had beautiful lithographs and engravings that you normally would never be able to secure. What you find can make you stop. A quick stop turns into hours. An antique store is a place to find anything for those special people that have a peculiar taste. Individual pieces and one-of-a-kind works always bring together past and present.

Those of us that work at antique shops are the treasure hunters, digging for buried treasure. We search, and sometimes things come to us. We find them, care for them, then return it to the next soul that didn’t even know they needed it. Collectors, individuals who want to spruce up their home or those who didn’t know they were missing something, are joyful while finding the right piece.

An antique collection is always unique. Collections can be quirky, strange, romantic, or a mix of everything. So, stepping into an antique shop opens the eyes and the mind. It would be wonderful if everyone stepped into an antique store at least once in their life. They would be able to see the past come to life. Movies, books, plays, and stories paint the original picture. Still, to truly step back in time and see the care and dedication, that is what makes our job worth everything.

Come and stop in to see our newest range of antiques in our antique collection at Nashua Coins and Collectibles Tuesday through Saturday at 202 Main Street. You will be amazed at the time travel you can do in one visit.

How Long Will It Take?

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For those who are new to the world of coins and antiques, you may not quite understand what our shop does. We buy coins based on the rates that are on the market, then sell them. These are flexible and change every 15 minutes, so we stay up to date with these prices constantly. That isa central part of how we appraise coins. Our shop owner, Gary, looks at a coin and finds out what he can price it at in an instant. He knows coins that well. However, when it comes to the antiques, that takes a bit longer than we plan.

Now, we try to get a quote for you as soon as possible. However, some things require a lot of digging compared to others. During coin appraisals, we look for mint marks, grade, and year of the coin. A keen eye comes with research and experience. However, with, say, jewelry or pieces of art, it takes a while to find out more information about the item. The process takes anywhere from 15 minutes to however long it takes to appraise coins. It depends on how rare the piece is and its condition.

Pieces with mint marks are simpler to figure out. A mint mark on the coin explains how many got made, the amount in circulation, and many other things determining price factors. We don’t guess. So, it’s important that we consider everything when we appraise coins before we tell you a price. Also, if you are away from us, feel free to send us email pictures just in case. That way, we have time to research. Plus, you do not need to part with your pieces.

For the collectibles items that take time, it’s up to you how you are going to handle the situation. If it is going to take a while, take the object home with you. That way, we call on you to bring the object back if you approve of the price that we offer. The other option that you have is to leave it with us. The object gets locked up safe while we do our research. Our research occurs on a mix of Google links and databases to ensure that we have all the information we need. It takes some time, so it is important that we make sure all of our ducks are in a row.

Remember that getting a price from us on something that you wish to sell takes some time. We try to be quick, but it depends on the piece. If you have a rare piece, prepare to wait. The good thing is that there are plenty of places near our shop to grab a bite to eat. Or, find some fun distractions just by looking around the store. No matter what, keep in mind that appraisals aren’t always simple. A thorough research process trumps getting things done fast!

All About The Buffalo Nickel

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Many things intrigue the American populous. Rare coins continue to be one of the largest collector’s groups out there compared to others. The collection of coins – some foreign, some domestic – has been a pastime for years. For example, not many individuals live their lives without hearing about the Buffalo Nickel. It is one of the most famous rare coins that is scarce, but well-known. It proves that currency will continue to.

Though many individuals know of the Buffalo Nickel, the actual history of the nickel is vastly obscure. On the Buffalo Nickel Organization website, they cover the central portions of the metal’s history. Any collector or soon to be collector should know about this famed coin.

The Buffalo nickel had a short run getting produced by the U.S. mint. The 5 cent coin was in production from 1913-1938. The short stint allowed it to be one of the more famous coins of the past 100 years. The nickel, like newer models, has the 75% copper to 25% nickel break down. However, the design brings individuals to the coin.

James Earle Fraser designed the coin to pay homage to Native Americans and their heritage. Fraser had the opportunity to collaborate with three different chieftains for a different project. He used them as the culmination of the Native American that is on the coin. Chief Iron Tail from the Sioux nation, Chief Two Moons from the Cheyenne Nation, and Chief John Big Tree of the Seneca Nation were all morphed together. The morphing created an embodiment of a “type” of a particular person imprinted on the back of the coin. It allowed for a “general” depiction of the peoples of the tribes.

The buffalo on the front, however, was supposedly a portrait of a single buffalo from the New York Zoo. The buffalo’s name was Black Diamond and was an amazing animal based on the design on the back of the coin. According to an article by Indian Country Today Media Network about the currency’s 100^th Anniversary, Black Diamond died in 1915. His body provided 750 pounds of meat – an upsetting fate for the famed buffalo.

The Buffalo Nickel had two different designs during its production. The first type – made only during the first year of its release in 1913 – had the words “five cents” imposed on the mound that the buffalo stood on. However, they figured that the phrase would wear too quickly in that position. So, on the second type (which continued until its retirement in 1938) “five cents” got printed in the recess that was on the mound. This way, it would last longer.

What makes these coins so special, aside from their short run, is that there are quite a few that have multiple errors. Some of the most common errors found were D’s over S’s. It designated where mint the coin came from and had numbers over other numbers. However, the ones that many collectors want to try to get their hands on are from particular years and mints. The 1936-D coins have a 3.5 legged buffalo on it, while the 1937-D coins have a buffalo with only three legs. As one of the groups of coins that has the most errors, they came to be some of the best rare coins to collect out of US currency.

Next time you wander down Main Street, stop on in and see what rare coins we have in store or give us a call at (603)-718-1018.