What's the value of an American nickel coin? Five cents, mostly. Unless of course, an engraver has gotten a hold on one and transformed this small denomination coin into a sculptural piece of artwork like the ones here.

Engraving American nickels is nothing new by any means. But as more and more collectors pay good sums for these carved bits, engravers are trying their graver at the style. Because the metal of nickels, especially older Buffalo nickels, provides a soft material, these coins are a popular canvas.

Note that the dates of these coins, which are mainly from the late 1930s, are preserved by engraver Marcus Hunt. An engraver will usually leave the date on older coins, but some may choose not to do so. The small canvas of a nickel can give way to just about any subject matter, as can be seen in the variety of these three coins.

Marcus has even added small touches of gold here and there to accent the details of his engravings. These small engravings can bring in a "pretty penny" or two, and can be a lot of fun to engrave.