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News and Events
Quality Designations Temporarily Suspended
OHNS has temporarily suspended Quality Designations (QD) for hobo nickels other than for those being submitted to 2022 OHNS Auction. We hope to resume doing all QDs before too long. We will place a notice in Bo Tales at the time.
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The 2023 29th Annual Auction Results are now Available!
To Download the auction catalogue, right click and download.
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2022 OHNS Hobo Tokens Now Available
OHNS Is Celebrating 30 Years Since Its Founding in 1992
OHNS is pleased to announce the release for sale of 2022 OHNS Hobo Tokens. They have again been designed and dies cut by OHNS member and engraver Steve Adams of Grove City, Pennsylvania.
Click here to purchase OHNS Hobo Tokens
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Introducing Project Kaiser
OHNS has announced Project Kaiser. For more information go to the Project Kaiser page.
I recently received an email from OHNS board member Stephen Alpert. I ran Steve's idea by some of the OHNS Board, and we agreed Steve's idea might be of interest to our members and be a lot of fun.
Steve said in part,
"Hi all! I propose that OHNS begins a research project on Kaiser Hobo nickels: (PROJECT KAISER)
First, we try to find and illustrate as many different classic old Kaiser hobo nickels. Each of you (3 OHNS Board members) have already sent pictures of the Kaiser hobo nickels in your collections. I will send you pictures later today of the ones in my collection.
Next we attempt finding additional other Kaiser hobo nickel pictures from our archives, past BoTales issues, past OHNS auctions, auction house auctions, eBay-sold hobo nickel illustrations by Ralph in past BoTales issues (including Threes a Match), and in the collections of OHNS members. We can put an introductory article in the next issue of BoTales (You're reading it right now.) requesting help for this project from all present and past OHNS officers, and all current OHNS regular members.
Once we gather together all the old Kaiser hobo nickel pictures (say we find 100) they should be illustrated (randomly) and individually numbered, in an issue of BoTales. Then we ask all OHNS members/BoTales readers, to study the pictures and let us know which ones they believe are matches. Out of this we may get some triple matches which we can nickname in future issues of BoTales. This project should be completed sometime in 2021."
Here's a little historical background on Kaiser Wilhelm. Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 1859 - 4 June 1941), anglicized as William II, was the last German Emperor (Kaiser) and King of Prussia. His reign lasted from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. Here are photos of Kaiser Wilhelm hatless and wearing the typical German Pickelhaube helmet.
Please read republished article by the late Tom Culhane (click here) that originally appeared in BoTales ten years ago. I think it will give you a much greater appreciation of the historical significance of Kaiser hobo nickels. A Lot of WWI German soldier/Kaiser carvings were done by GI's who copied other WWI GI's in places like Hoboken, New Jersey while waiting to ship out to Europe.
So please send photos of YOUR Kaiser hobo nickels to OHNS BoTales editor Ralph Winter, hobobazoo@gmail.com.
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OHNS Announces YN Scholarship
A scholarship to assist members with educational expenses has been created to honor Archie Taylor. This scholarship was named in his honor as Archie was a champion of the Original Hobo Nickel Society (OHNS) and a strong campaigner for the art of carving nickels. The scholarship is to be awarded annually to one applicant meeting the qualifications as stated on the OHNS website where the application form can also be found. The scholarship is awarded to a new recipient every year and is funded by monetary donations and coins donated for auction at the annual OHNS Auction in January of every year. Those coins that are donated specifically to fund the scholarship will be featured in a separate section of the catalog. The deadline for submission is August 15th this year due to the current COVID-19 situation.
The Archie Taylor Educational Scholarship is open to YN members of OHNS and also children and grandchilren of OHNS members. More information can be found in the blue area on the Club Info page.
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2020 Reprints of the Hobo Nickel Guidebook Are Now Available
Click here to purchase the Hobo Nickel Guidebook
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OHNS Announces Del Romines Summer Seminar Scholarship
The Del Romines Summer Seminar Scholarship is open to members of OHNS. Check the blue area on the Club Info page for more information.
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OHNS Pamphlet Now Online!
Check out the new OHNS pamphlet on the Origins of Hobo Nickels!! Click the photo below or right quick and save the photo below to download it!
