finger picks made from silver half dollars

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 13 Feb 2012 9:13 am

I guess I have way too much time on my hands since I retired, I made these picks out of siver Kennedy half dollars for Jamie Lennon, Georgette Jones' husband and steel player, and gave them to him as a novelty, havent heard how they sound yet, maybe he will chime in and tell us, I may want to make a set for myself.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 13 Feb 2012 9:55 am

Nice,I hope there are no repercussions from the gov.I don't know if it still stands but isn't there a law against defacing gov. monies?I'm just saying.I hope not,those are very nice.

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 13 Feb 2012 10:00 am

From the United States Mint web site:

"Although altering and defacing United States coinage generally is not illegal, doing so violates a Federal criminal statute (18 U.S.C. § 331) when the act is accompanied by an intent to defraud. Accordingly, a person is committing a Federal crime if he or she intentionally alters an ordinary Presidential $1 Coin to make it look like an error coin for the purpose of selling it at a premium to someone who believes it to be a real error coin"

I assume that making picks out of these is just fine with the US Gov't!

http://www.usmint.gov/consumer/?action=archives

Those are some cool looking picks!

Greg

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 13 Feb 2012 10:14 am

yes I researched this before making them, I also make rings from coins and I was informed by an attorney that it is not illegal when used as a form of art as long as there is no intended fruad, otherwise trying to pass it off as something it is not. But i dont think they have to worry anyway because this is not a cost effective way to make picks

by the time you pay 8 bucks for the siver coin and then about two hours of labor I dont think they will be mass produced by any means...... unless that guys gets 847.00 for that thumb pick on Craigs list....

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 13 Feb 2012 5:20 pm

unless that guys gets 847.00 for that thumb pick on Craigs list.... Laughing

Hell at that price you can make me a dozen,hee,hee.
Glad there are no laws broken that would stop you from doing a fine art object,they are beautiful.

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 13 Feb 2012 5:27 pm

Hey Doyle, them sure are beautiful, and I say,
It's your money, so do anything you want with it.
Carl

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 13 Feb 2012 5:57 pm

Thanks Carl, I dont even know how they sound yet but I am betting they sound good, guess I will make another set for me just to see how they sound, they are 60% silver and 40% copper so they should be hard enough to wear good and last forever. I think I will melt down a couple of old gold 10karat wedding bands and make some out of gold just to see how they sound. Might be a new fresh idea for all the divorced pickers that dont know what to do with those old wedding bands

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 13 Feb 2012 6:02 pm

the steel guitar was probably their first love anyway... this is where my wife walks by and cuts off my compu

Danny Letz · Post by **Danny Letz** » 13 Feb 2012 6:24 pm

Not only is he a silver smith, a pretty good fiddle player, dang good steel player, a real good singer, an auctioneer, C City Opry producer, and God knows what else, now he's tryin the comedian thing.

Glenn Uhler · Post by **Glenn Uhler** » 13 Feb 2012 8:10 pm

Doyle,
Probably a lot cheaper and easier if you started with coin silver sheet. A lot less hammerin'.

Nice patterns!

Hook Moore · Post by **Hook Moore** » 14 Feb 2012 3:50 am

Real nice Doyle
Hook

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 14 Feb 2012 5:49 am

you are so right Glenn, I have sheet silver and have made picks from that before, but I had just got a new rolling mill and wanted to flatten something to play with it and the halfs were just laying there..so guess what happened....

I thought the half dollars would be more of a novelty with the notched edge still showing on the picks. As far as easy goes, the easiest way would be to make a wax and then spin cast them and be done with it as well as having multiple numbers made at once. But that would kinda take away the " hand made" part of it.With all the high technology we live in today it is nice to see some good old American craftsmanship still happening now and then, seems to me American hand made crafts are almost a thing of the past.

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

Greg Wisecup · Post by **Greg Wisecup** » 18 Feb 2012 5:29 am

I gots to have that whole set. E mail me with the $$$$$$. (less the bracelet)

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 18 Feb 2012 6:59 am

e mail sent Greg, I have several asking for a set of those novelty picks, but the problem being with all the talk of silver and gold reaching record prices, every one seems to think the 1965 halves are worth a fortune and most are hanging on to them waiting for the prices to sky rocket

I personally dont think it will happen, I dont think silver will reach the rumored price, but I never expected to see gold get that high either. Anyway, as soon as I can find some more halves between 1965 and 1970 to get the 60% sivler content I will make some more for those that have asked for a set. If any of you coin collectors have some old halves that the condition is to bad for a coin collection and you would sell reasonably let me know, they will end up on someone's fingers. thanks guys

Jamie Lennon · Post by **Jamie Lennon** » 20 Feb 2012 8:36 am

Hey Doyle they play pefect. They actually fit perfect straight away also. Normally new picks have to constantly adjusted and played awhile for you to get used to them.

I love em !!

Thanks again

Jamie

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 20 Feb 2012 9:27 am

thanks for letting me know Jamie, glad they worked for you, I guess I will make myself a set now, I am making a set for Greg now, but I really dont like making things for people without knowing how they will work, and now you have answered that for me. I am expiermenting with some now that will cover a lot more of the finger so they dont cut into the cuticle, but they look like a set of the old PF flyer tennis shoes

I am making them out of German silver (nickle silver) and have one set that I tried out yesterday, they feel good to me but it took a while to get them adjusted just to the perfect fit of my finger. I will post a picture later today, you will get a kick out of it ! Besides I used to like the old PF flyer tennis shoes !

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 20 Feb 2012 10:00 am

Here is the PF Flyer looking picks, fingers not included, next I will make the big part in the shape of Texas

and I am not kidding !

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 20 Feb 2012 10:08 am

I imagine that, not being smooth inside, and so having a larger surface area, they probably stay on better.

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 20 Feb 2012 10:16 am

Doyle, if you really can make them in the shape of Texas....

I'll buy four sets.

You read that right

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 20 Feb 2012 10:21 am

Allan, I know this will probably gross some out ...but for years I have found that the best thing to keep picks on is your own saliva..... I know , I know but it is the best thing out there and it is free ! Well I put those picks on and licked my fingers and I nearly had to pry them off, I even tried slinging my arm as hard as I could and they would not budge !! That may well be a great thing about these picks... but they will take some adjusting and getting used to, kind of like wearing shoes and putting on your first pair of boots.

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 20 Feb 2012 10:27 am

Ken I will go to work on the Texas thing... Texas on one side ... Oklahoma on the other and Mexico going down the side

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 20 Feb 2012 4:13 pm

Instead of using a silver half-dollar you could use the Texas state quarter.

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 20 Feb 2012 5:18 pm

yes but it would be thinner than a piece of paper when I flattened it out big enough to make a pick .

Greg Wisecup · Post by **Greg Wisecup** » 24 Feb 2012 9:40 am

Got my goodies today from Doyle! Man they are kewl!
Not only are these custom and hand made; they came from a super nice guy! We were in contact constantly while he was making these and his main concern was my happiness with them. I can't wait to try out these picks and show them off! Your a good man Doyle Mitchell! Y'all git you some! They is purty! If he ever makes that pendent in the shape of Texas; there will be a shortage of half dollars!

Doyle Mitchell · Post by **Doyle Mitchell** » 24 Feb 2012 10:20 am

Thanks Greg, i am glad you like them, I am having a lot of fun with this and coming up with a ton of ideas, I am going to make some with Crosses and tooled for the Gospel players, I am making some out of Nickel silver and Gold plating them in 24K gold. Still got to figure out how to make that Texas on there for ole Ken and he is going to have to take 4 sets like he said !

As far as the shortage of halfs, seems like we are already there, I am having trouble finding them. I made Bobby Rains a set from 1950 halfs, 90% silver and they sound great. Guys, I am doing this for fun....... so the price is next to nothing if you want a set.... The ones made from silver halfs are 35.00 shipped because of the cost of the half dollar, but I can make a set in nickel silver for 18.00 shipped or 28.00 gold plated, i will post the new ideas as they progress. I bet I can come up with something you will love, and since i make these by hand every set is different, in fact every pick is different although I do try to match them the best i can as a set. thanks to all for the nice e mails.

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finger picks made from silver half dollars

finger picks made from silver half dollars

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