Russian artist Roman Booteen has carved one of the most intriguing ‘Hobo nickels‘ we’ve ever seen.

Using a Morgan silver dollar from 1921, the ‘Hobo nickel’ features a golden ‘bait coin’, a Dos Pesos from 1945. The coin also features gold inlays (the broken arrows) and a working trap jaw mechanism (video embedded below).

The trap jaws are triggered when the gold coin is pressed. Booteen assures us that the spring is too weak to do any actual harm to your fingers and that it’s just a decorative element. The inscription is the Latin phrase: “Aurum multo magis animas perdidit, quam ferrum corpora cecidit” which loosely translates to: “Gold has killed more souls than iron”

This unique Hobo nickel was recently listed on eBay where the carved silver dollar fetched US$10,101! If you’re interested in seeing more Hobo nickels by Roman check out his artwork at the links below.

[via gDisasters]