First, my norm is cards. I have a copy of Bobo's book at home, but I never worked with coins much.

I'm interested in an effect I can carry to use as a transition between card tricks. Something to break up the repeated card tricks, and allow a deck swap (i.e. put deck away, do coin effect, pull out other deck).

I'm looking for ideas of things that are:

• Simple, I don't see myself becoming advanced with coin sleights (yet)
• Gimmicked coins are fine, if they have no reset, or a simple reset
• Versatile if possible, so I can use the coin(s) for a number of tricks
• But most of all, light

Well, more to the point that I don't want to carry 4+ coins.

If it helps, I often carry a Perfect Pen, and a deck of cards. Usually no mat. Anything that combines with those would work also.

Somewhere in the depths of my house, I think I have a Lethal Tender set (with $3 trick book), and I *think* I have a Scotch & Soda set somewhere...

Thanks for any help. I'm gonna start browsing through the archives now.

Phil

Scotch and Soda is good, Peter Marucci has a no gimmick version that is quite good and he will give you the routine for the asking.

If you don't mind putting in some time I think a coins across would be a good break between card sets. You could tie it altogether at the end by doing Al Schneider's Matrix combining both your props. A perfect closer.

You may want to try some sort of Copper/Silver Trasposition. For the most part it's not too difficult to do, happens in the spectator's hands and gets great reactions.

S.Segal

Thanks for the fast reply. Can you provide a source or link for 'coins across' and the Al Schneider Matrix? I'm going to try google now.

Also, I hit a website to scan through the coin effects, I see several Matrix effects to look through.

I also see something I'm going to search archives for, a butter coin (sorry if this is a common item, I've never heard of it).

Even the simplest copper and silver coin transposition can serve you well.

Sounds like "Hopping Halves" might be the trick that you're looking. It's a great copper silver transpo. No real sleights required and it has a real butt kicker of an ending. Even though I do all the sleights I will still perform the Hopping Halves at the end of three hours of strolling and/or working tables when my brain is a little mushy. AND IT KILLS!!

Rich

I was able to find Al Schneider's Matrix & Coins Aacross available my favorite way—downloadable ebook! Must resist buying all manuals off webpage...

Regarding Hopping Halves, just read a description off Penguin and it sounds veeery interesting. The description makes it sounds like the effect is run through a few times, and then a complete vanish.

Can the coins be used for other effects?

Most "Hopping Half" sets can be used for other effects... If you get the Johnson set, you receive a half dollar shell, an English penny shell and a sun and moon coin. All usuable is numerous coin routines.

S.Segal

Check out one of these

geoffry latta's CopSilBrass routine in kaufman's CoinMagic book.

Doug Brewer's Famous 3 Coin Trick in his Unexpected Visitor book... one of the best books for a new coin worker, IMO. Just uses 3 halves and a coin purse.

Sankey's No Jacket Required and Mr. Clean Coins Accross are great. Require just halves.

Roth's shelled coins accross.

Sounds to me like you are looking for a trick that allows you to do a deck switch, with a coin effect as the segue...

Try something simple, like a coin to glass. Borrow and mark a coin. Cover the mouth of a glass with the cased deck, then vanish the coin. It appears, audibly and visually, in the covered glass. There are several ways to do this, including a simple slieght of hand method. In the process, you switch the deck. Blocking the routine is the fun part - trust me you can figure out a way to handle all the parts so that the deck switch flies right by them...

Or, you might want to look at a Marlo booklet called "Coining Magic". There is a whole section on the Coin Fold, an under-used, under-explored effect with a piece of paper and a borrowed coin, that would fit nicely here...

Or try this: You begin your card set by taking the jokers out of the deck and putting them in the card case, which you put in your pocket. Do your card set. Then, as you go to put the cards away, remember the jokers. Take the jokers out, put the deck in the case and back in your pocket, and do a trick with the jokers. Take the deck out to put the jokers away and voila, deck switch. Continue with your encore with the switched-in deck...


Oh yeah, the trick with the jokers - I'd consider Jerry Andrus' "Miser's Miracle", one of the more amazing coin productions I know... That's if you really want to do a coin trick. If you just want to do something to accomplish the deck switch, then use the jokers to do Walton's "Card Warp".

I've tried to stay within the parameters you set, which specifically EXCLUDED using 4 or more coins. The Miser's Miracle violates that rule, but you seemed, in your later post to be willing to consider multi-coin tricks. If not, that would rule out Matrix, Coins Across, Coins thru the Table, etc. But, what do I know...

Best, PSC

P.S. David Williamson had a great coin production and vanish from, of all places, the cap of a pen. This might work for you, since you mentioned you carry a pen. Certainly worth looking at. The coins are small change, something you would carry in your pocket anyway, as opposed to half, or silver, dollars. Just a thought...

Hi,

a few suggestions that are not too difficult and light in the pockets:

-Mr Chosse's advice; David Williamson's pen from pen
cap (use any coin and pen with cap)
-David Williamson's Cut That Out (coin & purse)
-Jay Sankey's Mr Clean Coins across (only 3 halves or
3 quarters are needed)
-Bent penny transposition (Paul Harris AoA or Ammar
ETMMM - need a dime and a penny and a bent penny)
-Gadabout coins (Bobo or Ron Bauer - uses 4 coins)
-copper silver transpositions (many variants available)
-Coins through table (4 coins)

I hope this helps!

Ronnie Lemieux
Montrea
Canada

I'd consider anything. Today I brought in to work with me 4 Sacaja.. 4 gold $1 coins, and 1 half dollar coin. I don't know how you guys carry coind, but that's a lot of coin to carry around in the pocket. I'd consider carrying them, but I think I'd be happier with the original thought of 2-3 coins.

It sure does seem that most effects require 4 or more coins.



That sounds like a very interesting effect. I'll google it later today!

Thanks for your help!

How about sponge balls? One nice thing is that you can produce one from under a napkin or cup, your ear, a playing card, etc. and then just go into a routine.

tdaube

I do a coin to cards effect(cards are in box). I do it the same way you would produce a jumbo coin.

I would suggest Mark Jenest Short hop which can be found on miracles will you wait.

My presentation goes as follows.

I pull a little leather coin purse out, that has an english penny and a half dollar. I patter about how these are magical coins given to me by my grandfather. The nice thing is that the extra something you need for this effect I keep under a flap of elastic on the under side of the purse. I can show my hands empty, obtain the purse, pull out the ungaffed coins and let the spectator hold them, while I steal the extra and put a way the purse. It is well organized in your pocket, no fumbling for coins and no crazy jingle bells coming from your pocket while you are walking around. The only slight needed is a classic palm, and it doesn't need to be that great.

If I could only do one coin effect, I think this might be it. Come to think of it, I can only do one coin effect and this is it.


Good luck

Ed

Either the 'Coin through table' routine from Buttercoin by Alex Lourido (comes with the necessary coin). Alternatively you could do 'Quest for fire' from No Card Tricks by Jay Sankey using a copper/silver coin.

If you want a trick that incorporates coins and cards, just do a SIMPLE matrix, it doesn't involve that much slight of hand (no palming).