We’re all familiar with what a nickel looks like, right?

Flickr / yaybiscuits123

But what about a “Hobo Nickel”?

What, you might ask, is a “Hobo Nickel”? Because of the softness of the metals used in nickels (copper and nickel), people have been carving the money up for decades.

Since the 1700s, people have been creatively modifying the faces of coins.

Flickr / Richard Elzey

Nickels are popular, but other denominations, such as pennies and quarters, have also been transformed.

Flickr / J. Money

Because of the low cost and small nature of the coins, homeless men and women have come to use them for currency, hence the name!

Flickr / Bethany Nowviskie

Nowadays, people uses the coins for more artistic purposes, like this necklace.

Flickr / Steve

Flickr / Tony Alter

Designs range from intricately delicate to creepy-cool.

Wikimedia Commons / Danthoms

Flickr / agirlnamednee

Before you complain that this is illegal, it should be noted that these pieces are made just for artistic enjoyment, so defacing the coins, in this case at least, will not land you any jail time.

If you’d like to try your hand at making your own “Hobo Nickel,” check out this cool tutorial.