I have the revolutionary coin magic of Sankey video. It has a very visual coin bend on it that uses a coin that is already bent 90 degrees. Where can I buy a coin like this or have one bent? It isn't gimmicked in any way, just bent. Thanks in advance.

You make it yourself just as I did. Place the coin (half dollar or silver dollar) in a metal vise with slightly more than half of the coin above the jaws of the vise. With a hammer pound the coin until it bends 90 degrees. This should take about ten blows with the hammer with medium force. The coin will bend and not break if you follow these instructions. Wear eye protection! You'll find that the hammer blows do not distort the coins detail. Sankey's bending coin is beautiful. Although the spectator sees only the top half of the coin for a moment before it bends, the illusion is wonderful. For a coin bending illusion this has advantages over the now popular Silver Shifter:
#1 Cheap (costs 50 cents)
#2 Spectator examines the coin, you switch it out and as soon as the bend is over you drop the coin in the spectator's hand with no moves or gimmicks to hide in that hand.
#3 It will never wear out and can be carried in the pocket without any concern about damaging the gaff.
#4 You don't have to worry about silver particles coming off on your hand
#5 Available in all currencies

I just made the gimmick and tried it in front of the mirror - WOW. It looks just as good as silver shifter and was freeee! Thanks again for help.

To bend the coin more...what's the word...I dunno, better, do this:

Place a soft cloth, like a wash rag into the vice before you insert the coin. This keeps the vice grips from disfiguring the coin. Use a rubber mallet to bend the coin, this gives it a smoother, more natural bend.

Although these are minute details, some smarter spectators would call out vice marks if seen.

lol I just noticed the marks since you said something. Ill probably go to the bank mondeay and get some more halves and try it that way. Thanks again.

I checked the original silver half I bent with the hammer and vise and don't see any marks on the coin. Using some protection around the coin such as cloth or thin slabs of wood in the vise all make sense. A rubber mallet also seems like a good idea if you have one.

The plates in some vices are grooved to create grip on theobject being held. This is what makes the marks. Some vice are flat metal plates without grippings, and I assume this is the type you have. It takes minimal pressure on the coin to make the marks on a normal vice.

You're right. "Silver" coins are fairly soft metal and if you place one in a vise with a grooved jaw the pattern of the jaw will be imprinted on the coin. Use a vise with a flat jaw or sandwich the coin between two pieces of metal or even two large washers to protect the surface of the coin.

Yes you must put some sort of protection around the coin. I used a tshirt doubled up a few times and then draped a shop rag over the coin to protect from the hammer. Also I would recomend using a Dollar sized coin The 50 cent piece is a little hard to see in my opinion. I never tell em what they are gonna see first, I just hold out the coin and tell them to concentrate and when it bends I say NOt so hard kinda loud. They sometimes come out of their seat with the freaky weakies. Sorry got off a a little tangent there.

Hi, just a quick question. Is the Sankey coin bend the same handling as the Penny bend in Bobo??


Thank you for yor time.

Do you think he would put his name on some elses effect?

Lee

hmm just wondering if anyone has bent canadian currency coins (mainly the loonie and toonie)?? I'm assuming the toonie wouldn't work because it seems to have two pieces??

If you don't have access to a vise, like me, you can just do what I did. I wrapped the coin in rubber innertube to avoid scratching and marking it as you all have mentioned and then simply held the coin with plyers up against a peice of 1' wood and banged the coin in its center several times with a hammer.

I also agree with Rawvoodoo about using dollars instead of halves because only half of the coin is visible prior to the bend using dollars would be much more visual.

pyro_magic


As soon as I saw your reply, I relised that there is such a thing as a dumb question, and then I saw I even doulble posted it. Thanks for your time.

B-MAN,
You just double posted again. Don't hit your BACK button after posting. That should help. Bob

Or if your post isn't submitting fast don't push it a second time. Only once and let it load on its own time.

Lee

Does't he also have a bending routine with a Penny? I think he marketed it and it was called "Bent Cent."

Andrew

Thanks, the double post has been driving me nuts. I have been hitting the back button.

B-MAN,
Your post was not dumb! If you have questions feel free to ask them. You are sure to get polite responces from the wide range of serious minded Magicians on this site.

The bending Penny from Bobo uses a different handling. The coin appears bent in the spectator's hand. With the Sankey bend it is done at your fingertips and is a visible bend and best of all there is no switch after the coin bends.