I just started a coin collection and I have several 2007 American Eagle Silver coins. Some are the uncirculated coins and the others are the Proof coins, both of these are .99% pure Silver and come inside a protected hard plastic case.

What I was wondering is: do people remove the protected hard case from these coins to use in Magic? I am talking about the uncirculating coins, not the proof coins which are meant to be protected and looked at. These coins cost about $21.95 each, would it be a bad idea or what?

How about the $850 Gold coins?? I just noticed the price of Gold just went up, wow that was fast. Wish I was loaded with money

I don't think most people buying silver coins for coin magic buy their coins packaged in a protective hard case to begin with. Many want silver coins that have been "circulated" or softened and have some wear to them so they don't make any unwanted noise during their routines. However, I have both "soft" and I guess you would call it "hard" silver dollar coins and I use both about the same amount of time in practice and performing.

You definately can use the coins if you don't mind the fact that they can get dinged up and scratched a bit in use if you drop them, but if you just want them to look pretty then you better work on getting different coins. Of course, if you don't think you will drop them in practice and performance.....

If you want to use real silver coins, go to your local coin dealer and ask him to show you the slicks or junk silver coins. A lot of effects require slick/worn/soft coins and the savings on junk coins can be considerable.

FWIW

Cheers!

20 bucks for a silver eagal is a little steep.. I paid 16 for mine...

To answer your question though.. Yes, people use those very same coins... If you got them for 20 bucks and they are 2007 they are likely only worth a little more then the silver content...

Crack the case and go for it..

Shawn.

Using coins inside those cases would kind of make them 'soft' - and it would be different - permitting some tricks where the coins change inside the cases etc.

Not going to ask why you want to conjure with your coin collection or even why you expect anyone else to care that you carry a coin collection... instead, how about just figuring out what you want to bring to your audience?

No I do not carry my coin collection around. I am learning Coin magic, and I just happened to have some nice silver coins. Just wondering if other magicians happened to use brand new minted silver coins in their magic? Would they buy new minted coins from the US Mint just to be able to perform a coin trick?

The Silver eagles are almost pure silver and are going to be soft in the traditional sense of the word; they will wear quickly. Older US Silver coins are 90% silver 10% copper, the copper helping make the coins more durable. I've never seen anyone work with coins inside the protective cases, but I'm sure someone has or will come up with a routine using an encapsulated coin.

Thanks Jordan. That makes sense about the purity of the coin.

No, I do not have a clue to the encapsulated coin trick. That is a conversation that popped-up out of no-where. Maybe one day it will magically appear. I do have an encapsulated Presidential $1 coin, Thomas Jefferson, that I use for the knuckle roll and show-off the coin itself to people.

Many thanks
Keith

I've seen a few magicians use them. I wouldn't use the Silver Eagle personally. My feelings are they were minted more for investors/collectors. Obviously you could explore the coin case idea without using a proof grade coin. I have some silver eagles - I intend to keep them pristine and pass them down to my kids.

Eric Henning uses Silver Eagles all the time, because he's a big guy with enormous hands, and the big Silver Eagle cartwheels look great in his hands. They are a bit big for me, so I stick with Half Dollars and Silver Dollars myself most of the time.

At the last magic club meeting here, Harry Anderson brought in one of these coins. The 1oz gold $50 coins are beautiful. As he explained, the gold keeps its value. The coin has a $50 intrinsic value. The coin is an investment. Besides it makes a beautiful spellbound routine. I did find a much cheaper alternative. I did find a copy of a 1933 double gold $20 coin. They are gold colored and have copy stamped on the back in small letters. They have smooth edges but still make a unique presentation.

I think maybe he wants to bring those coins to his audience. Am I close, Keith?

Do you want to draw attention to the coins? Do you need soft coins?

You can get Eisenhower dollars for less than $2 if you look around. If you need soft coins then look for the junk/slick Morgans.

If you really like the look and feel for you coins then use them, but I would be tempted to treat them as collector's items.

The thing is, coins like the silver eagles in a case are collector coins. You should be able to find the same coins not in a case. The price of silver also determines the price of the coins. Currently they are going for somewhere between $16 and $22 per coin. "Junk" coins are useually sold at silver value. Barbers have a great intrensic value. There are very few that are considered "junk" coins.

Silver Eagles take too long to wear properly. I prefer to buy some Morgans for $7 - $9 at a coin shop. They have diminished in value and are great for coin work. I polish them up before I use them.

I think you're getting a great deal. I can't, for the life of me, find any Morgans in my area for less that $20.00 a coin. And ebay prices are run between $13 and $20 per coin, plus the insane shipping charges. I'm really tempted to send you a shopping list and ask you to pick some up for me!

Sure. Visit a coin dealer and ask for scrap coins - their value is the silver only. You need to ask for them as they are not in a display case. Visit a coin show - they always have lots of them loose and in a bag or box. The $7 - $9 price is typical. I prefer to select ones with somewhat readable dates in the late 1800's. If you can't find them, I'll be glad to pick you up some.

I just bought a few uncirculated 1921 morgans for $14. They are still plentiful so you can get them for the cost of silver or a little more. One interesting thing that I found was a few franklin and kennedy proofs in the junk silver bag. Someone had taken them out of their protective sleeve and have a few minor scratches from touching other coins. They still have their mirror finish and were priced below $5 per coin.

Hi all!

Glad I found this thread. Since the days of the Mickey Silver demo, I've been using 1972 Eisenhower Dollar coins. I paid $1.25 each. I found a Sudbury Penny (same size as the Ike) to do Spellbound, and recently obtained an Expanded Ike from Johnson Products.

I have had VERY good luck with these, and find them as pleasurable to use as my old Kennedy Halves.

Doug