Self-Working Coin Magic: 92 Foolproof Tricks

INTEREST

EASY MONEY MAGIC

Coin magic can be classified in the category of small magic, that is, magic performed with small objects. The best way to learn coin magic is to begin by performing simple tricks like those described in this chapter.

As with the handling of all small apparatus, take care to display coins or bills so they are clearly visible to the audience. The tricks in this chapter will acquaint you with basic ways of handling coins and bills. At the same time, the effects produce strong visual magic.

1. QUARTER BET

The magician displays a quarter on his left palm. He covers it with a half-dollar.

The magician says, I’ll bet you 15 cents you can’t tell me whether the coin under the half-dollar is heads up or tails up. If you win, you keep the coin under the half-dollar.

Even if the spectator guesses correctly, he will be surprised, because when the half-dollar is lifted, the coin under it has changed to a dime.

Method: When you remove a handful of change from your left trouser pocket, place a quarter over a dime. Do not call attention to what you do. Place a half-dollar aside. Then pick up the remaining change (all except the quarter and the dime) and place this change in your right trouser pocket.

2 Self-Working Coin Magic

Fig. 1

Display the coins as shown in Figure 1. The right hand holds the half-dollar. The quarter is on the left palm. Unknown to the audience, there is a dime hidden under the quarter. Make some remark that calls attention to the quarter. You can say, for example, I found this quarter just this morning. Let’s see if it’s lucky for me.

Place the half-dollar on top of the quarter. Tell the spectator that if he’s willing to bet 15 cents, you will bet that he cannot guess whether the quarter is heads up or tails up. If he guesses correctly, you will give him the coin under the half-dollar.

Let him guess. If he guesses wrong, give him another chance. Then lift the half-dollar with the quarter under it. Place these two coins in the right pocket. From the spectator’s point of view, a magical change has taken place—the quarter has changed to a dime.

2. MONEY CHANGER

A dime is displayed at the right fingertips. Except for the coin, the hands are unmistakably empty. Rubbing the dime, the magician explains that friction produces heat and heat causes metal to expand.

When the dime is next shown, it has changed to a half-dollar.

Method: Beforehand, clip a half-dollar between the right first and second fingers, Figure 2. Then grip a dime as shown in Figure 3. The preparation can be done with the hand in the jacket pocket. The key to the working of this trick is that if the dime is pointed directly at the spectator, the half-dollar cannot be seen.

Display the dime as shown in Figure 3 by pointing it at the spectator. The hand appears to be empty. Bring the left hand in front of the coin. With the back of the left hand screening the action from audience view, silently pivot the dime around onto the half-dollar with the left thumb, Figure 4.

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Rub the coin. Then display the half-dollar. The dime is hidden behind the larger coin. From the audience’s view, the dime has magically changed to a much larger coin. It is a startling transformation.

There is a little-known variation. Clip two half-dollars one behind the other, as shown in Figure 2. Place a dime in front of them and display the dime as shown in Figure 3.

Perform the handling shown in Figure 4 to pivot the dime around onto the upper half-dollar. Turn the hands so the back of the right hand is toward the audience.

Lift the upper half-dollar with the left hand and display it, Figure 5. The dime is concealed behind this half-dollar. Say, Some people think I have two coins. I do. Now bring the other half-dollar into view with the right hand.

Fig.4

Fig. 5

3. FIVE RISER

A $1 bill is placed on top of a $5 bill as shown in Figure 6. Starting at the bottom edge, both bills are rolled together, Figure 7. When the $5 bill has been completely rolled into a cylinder, Figure 8, the magician stops and has the spectator place his finger on the $1 bill to prevent trickery.

The bills are unrolled, but now the $5 bill is on top of the $1 bill.

Method: This adaptation of a classic trick with napkins or handkerchiefs was suggested by Monty Crowe. Place the $1 bill on top of the $5 bill as shown in Figure 6. Point out that the $1 bill is on top of the $5 bill.

Roll the two bills together as shown in Figure 7. Continue rolling the two bills until the $5 bill has been rolled into a cylinder, Figure 8. If you continue rolling the two bills the edge of the $5 bill will flip over.

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Fig. 9-A

Fig. 9-B

This flip-over action is shown in the end view of Figures 9-A and 9-B. When the long edge of the $5 bill reaches the position shown in Figure 9-B, stop rolling the bills. Have the spectator place his finger on the $1 bill to prevent trickery.

Slowly unroll the bills. The $5 bill will be on top of the $1 bill as shown in Figure 10.

Fig. 10

4. ONE FROM TWO

The magician displays two coins, showing them front and back. Openly placing one coin in his pocket, he snaps his fingers and opens his hand. Both coins are back in the hand.

Method: E. G. Ervin invented the principle behind this trick. Arrange three coins as shown in Figure 11. The coins do not have to be identical. Coins A and C can be half-dollars, coin B a quarter. Make sure the coins are arranged with heads showing the same way on all coins.

With the coins so arranged, place them between the thumb and first finger, at the base of the thumb, as shown in Figure 12. When the coins are in this position they can be shown on both sides. It appears as if you hold two coins.

Grasp the coins with the left hand to hold them in place, Figure 13. Then close the right hand around the coins. Remove either coin A or coin C, show it and place it in the pocket. Snap the fingers. Wait a second, shake your head as if something went wrong, then snap the fingers again.

Fig. 11

Fig. 12

Fig. 13

Fig. 14

Open the hand to show that the second coin has apparently returned.

An arrangement suggested by Ervin for six coins is shown in Figure 14. With the coins held as shown in Figure 12, three coins will show. Close the hand around the coins as before. Remove and pocket three coins. Snap the fingers and all three coins seem to have returned to the right hand.

5. QUICK PRINT

Several dollar-size pieces of blank paper are shown. They are folded and dropped into a paper cup. One is removed. The magician passes his hand over it. The blank paper changes to a $5 bill. There is no switch of paper.

Method: The trick depends on the little-noticed fact that a crisp new $5 bill contains an unprinted white area. The $5 bill is held so the side with the Lincoln Memorial is uppermost. The white area surrounds the Memorial, Figure 15.

Fold the bill as shown in Figure 16 to bring the white area to the center. Then fold the green portion at the top, bottom and sides around in back. The result will be that only the white shows, Figure 17. Place this folded $5 bill in the paper cup along with several dollar-size pieces of white paper.

Fig. 15

Fig. 16

Fig. 17

When presenting the routine, remove a piece of blank paper, show both sides and fold it as described above. Drop it into the cup.

Do the same thing with the other pieces of paper. As you do, remark that a fellow once showed you a simple way to print money from blank paper. Shake up the contents of the cup. Then reach in and remove the folded $5 bill.

Bring it out so the audience sees the white surface. The bill looks like a blank piece of paper. Hold the bill between the right thumb and first finger.

Pass the left hand over the bill, Figure 17. As you do, allow the bill to turn over. This brings the inked surface into view. Open the bill to show that a blank piece of paper apparently changed into a crisp new $5 bill.

6. QUICK COPPER

The old British pennies used before that currency converted to the decimal system are coins almost the same size as American half-dollars. They are obtainable in shops that sell foreign coins. A combination of English pennies and American half-dollars is used in a quick trick devised by Sam Aaronson.

The magician stacks four English pennies and four half-dollars so they alternate penny, half, penny, half, etc.

Four of the coins are tossed into the opposite hand. When the hand is opened, it contains four half-dollars. The halves have instantly separated themselves from the English coins.

Method: Although English pennies appear to be the same size as American half-dollars, they are slightly larger. This small difference in size is exploited in the following handling.

Stack four English pennies and four American half-dollars so they alternate. Then grasp the stack from above with the right hand, Figure 18.

Say, Let’s mix the coins a bit more. Make a tossing motion toward the left hand. Gently release the pressure of the right fingers. This will cause the smaller half-dollars to slip out of the right fingers and into the left hand, Figure 19. The back of the right hand is toward the audience, so the spectators cannot see which coins are being tossed into the left hand.

Immediately, close both hands into loose fists. Shake the coins a bit. Say, This is a quick way to extract copper from silver. Open the hands one at a time to show that copper has separated from silver. The trick can also be done with four American nickels and four American pennies.

Another way to do the trick is to hand the eight coins to a spectator. Have him cup them between his hands and shake them up. With the coins randomly mixed, hold them as shown in Figure 18. Then go through the above handling to cause the