Photo credit: Roman Booteen
Russian artist Roman Booteen specializes in hand-engraving coins, but with a mechanical twist that reveals hidden secrets. The piece you see above is called “Gold Bug,” and was inspired by Edgar Alan Poe’s “The Gold Bug”. He carved it from two Morgan dollar coins from 1921 and a five dollar gold coin from 2015. When a special mechanism on the edge of the special coin is moved, the bug’s wings open and close, concealing its 22K gold body. Continue reading for two more videos and information.
“One of Roman’s latest creations is a prime example of why people are so blown away by his skill. It’s a silver dollar featuring the detailed carving of a knight and woman looking at a indentation on a wall. In a video posted on his Instagram, the artist reveals that the knight’s sword is actually removable and can be inserted into a little notch on the edge of the coin to slide open the wall indent and reveal a golden chalice. And this is just one of the cool things that Roman Booteen has made over the years,” according to Oddity Central.
