Why I selected these five carved nickels to purchase...
   Bob had an even two dozen carved nickels posted on his website and it was difficult to pick my favorite(s)... sorta like trying to pick which puppy you want from a litter of the cute little larrikins!

“Igor” #151 ~ An exceptionally deep carving depicting Dr. Frankenstein's helper Igor, piercing eyes, shaggy beard and an inlayed 24kt gold tooth. In the background, on either side of Igor, is an engraved and inlayed 'Tesla coil' with 24kt gold balls shooting electric waves at each other, what every monster lab had to have. {$280}

   “Igor” struck my eye first because he was so deeply carved, had sharply carved, distinct, features and had the COOL Tesla Coil portrayed in the background. The well thought out use of gold was certainly a plus as well. I was not happy that the coin's original date had been removed but the other positive factors outweighed that strong negative. Sometimes a carving simply “is what it is!” One has to take it or leave it.

“The Nose” #134 ~ This carved face seems to emerge from the surface of this Jefferson nickel as if it were pushing out from inside the coin. An exaggerated character face of a very old man living inside this nickel. {$180}

   “The Nose” was both clever and well executed... too bad it was on a Jefferson host nickel. I would have much preferred it on a Buffalo host coin but such is life! Another “take it or leave it” situation.

“Sweet Music” #163 ~ An exercise in anatomy, did you know ears are like fingerprints... no two are alike. But they all serve the same purpose... to hear... and the best of sound is music which brings about the engraved and inlayed 24kt gold musical notes. {$225}

   “Sweet Music” was the next carving to catch my eye for many of the same reasons that I liked “Igor.” It had an additional plus... I've been a strong advocate of nickel carvers using a different ear on each carving they do instead of adopting a standard ear for everything they carve. I have long observed, and been fascinated by, the fact that every person's ears are unique to themselves and have sought out carved nickels that reflected that fact of life.

“Peruvian Indian” #78 ~ The Indians of the Andes mountains, descendents of the Inca, have adopted the soft bowler 'Hobo' hat as a national headdress since the 1700's. {$180}

   “Peruvian Indian” appealed to me because it reflected another “real life” fact... the hats worn by the women in that culture ...and wasn't just some imaginary subject spun out of the engraver's imagination. Not that I object to imaginary subjects mind you.

“Potato Head” #91 ~ A smiling, stocking hat wearing, skier, streaking along, his scarf and cap flying in the wind. Look closely at the scarf and remember this is the buffalo side of the nickel. {$125}

   “Potato Head” just about got left behind until I noticed the excellent inclusion of portions of the original bison. The scarf made from the bison's hind legs was just OK ...but... the hat which used the original hump details really struck my fancy.

If only I had unlimited funds I would have purchased these carvings also...
   While I am not equally impressed with every carving Bob creates... there were several more in this offering that I really would love to acquire!

“Abe” #114 ~ A very deeply carved relief of Abraham as he looks down from the seat in the Lincoln Memorial. {$525}

   “Abe” probably appeals to me because we were taught from grade school how great an American Lincoln was... that and tragedy of his assassination ...all of which combine to make his likeness appealing to many Americans. Of course it doesn't hurt that Bob was able to recreate Abe so faithfully.

“The Pharaoh” #153 ~ A heavily textured headdress and boarder breaking beard contrast with the soft, deeply carved features of the Egyptian Pharaoh in deep meditation with an inlaid 24kt ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life. {$450}

   “The Pharaoh” has a strong face with genuine character in it. I particularly like the closed eyelids in this case rather than having his eyes staring out at you. The contrasting textures in his headdress are superlative! The ankh symbol inlayed with gold adds a unique flavor to this fine carving.

“The Princess” #164 ~ A deep relief carving with engraving, inlaying and stone setting thrown in to create an elaborately beautiful young woman resplendent in her engraved and inlayed 24kt gold necklace with a faceted diamond set in front of her elaborate headwear. The host coin for this carving is a wonderful 1913 type 2 full horn buffalo. {$750}

   “The Princess” is simply “fine”... what more needs to be said? The use of the diamond is successful in this carving. Many times any precious stone added to a nickel carving looks really clunky but not when Bob does it. I personally prefer that the carver drill a hole completely through the nickel to mount a gemstone in so that light can come through the stone from the backside. That makes a gemstone come alive!

“Buffalo Skull” #115 ~ A finely detailed carving of a traditional Indian 'Spirit Skull' embellished with a pair of eagle feathers. Notice the contrast of the four different textures. {$380}

   “Buffalo Skull” is a “traditional” subject but Bob executes it admirably and he uses the bright ring with a dark stippled background to good effect.

“Full Warrior Bling” #66 ~ This is an extremely detailed carving, an alternative to the original, a very proud chief squinting at the sky in full regalia. Each of the 26 eagle feathers in his war bonnet has finely detailed quills and barbules. His chest is covered with a pipe bone breastplate and seven soft ermine tails hang from the 24kt inlaid roundels on either side of the beaded headband. The host coin is a beautiful AU full horn buffalo. {$1,200}

   “Full Warrior Bling” is my last selection despite, based on the price, it apparently is Bob's favorite carving in this offering. I expect much of my lack of enthusiasm is the fact that something similar to this subject has been done by virtually every “modern” carver who ever laid a graver against a Buffalo nickel. While this carving is superbly executed it suffers a bit in my eyes from lack of originality. ~ V-Dubya