Gents,
Notwithstanding the fact that gaffing coins is illegal--though apparently not unethical because our purposes is just--the gaff being defended by those who haven't done their homework was originally marketed by Steve Duschek, long before Kohler, as "Slippery Sam," and the basic concept appears in "The Art of Magic."

The feke coins being offered by Magic Makers are almost certainly the non-silver replica coins that are fairly ubiquitous in some parts of Asia. These too are illegal, but no more illegal than gaffing real coins. I won't get into the controversy about the "flipper" that was either the invention of Phil Postma--based on an idea in Greater Magic--(manufactured by Eddie Tytlebaum) or Bob Swadling, and no mention of Jonathan Townsend (or Tommy Downs). My point is that in this case the ethical lines don't appear to be clear or consistent. If the set Magic Makers is offering are of poor quality, fault them as not being Ferrari, but not over incomplete knowledge of the history of the effect or the props.

Wesley James