(Undated) Man with Hat and Collar. By Bertram "Bert" Wiegand. Host Coin Very Fine.
A finely executed portrait on a Type II Buffalo nickel with a simple banded hat and charming wavy hair. "Signed" Bert by removing the LI and Y of LIBERTY. Pretty rose and powder blue toning dominate both sides, though the rose color really makes a statement on the reverse. A real find for collectors, hobo nickels attributed to Bert are quite a bit rarer than those from his student "Bo" whose style closely mimics his. Wiegand was born around 1890 and is well-known for his exceptionally detailed carvings. It is known he spent time incarcerated where he continued to carve and he was last tracked in the 1940s selling hobo nickels at flea markets. Housed in a cardboard 2x2 with Bill Fivaz's signature and the note ORIGINAL "BERT" HOBO 5C at top.