My very first shot at a hobo nickel went in the bin! Seriously though well done for giving it a go. One thing for you to concentrate on is getting a nice even field. It doesn't matter whether it's stippled or not, an uneven field will show through and I'm sure all the Nickel Carvers amongst us will agree, this is one of the most difficult elements to do well. I still envy Bill and Steve and how they achieve such uniformity every time I see their work.
Anyway, you've probably got the bug now and will want to produce another....and another....and another.....don't say you weren't warned!
Nothing wrong with carving ( engraving ) your first hobo nickel, and yes, you've got the right idea. As you do more, both your ability and technique will improve.
Not bad david. I would suggest using the buffalo nickel, as it has much more relieve than the new nickels. Put more time into them and you'll see better results. Remember you can't rush quality.
Keep it up.
Mike
Thank-You Steve,Ray, Marcus, Mike and everyone that gave me your most welcome input. I was looking at your respective sites and was really amazed at how smoothe the backgrounds are on your coins. Is that where the stones come into play or is there some other technique that (of course ) I need more practice with?
hope I worded this correctly.
David