Dear All,

Many of you I'm sure will be familiar with the Dishonest Abe routine. However, living in the UK, I'm finding it difficult coming up with suitable patter as the coins are US currency. Has anybody got any suggestions?

Best regards,

Lee.

Lee,

I'm not sure where you live in the UK, but maybe you could suggest that the great Sherlock Holmes once helped an American
"chap" out with solving a counterfeit case, and here's how he did it.....

That might not work for you, I don't know. If people in the UK recognize the US currency, I don't see a problem with this approach. However, if they don't recognize US currency, maybe you could check into getting some Jumbo British coins. I've never seen them here in the States, but maybe you could find a place over there that sells them. Hope you'll be able to resolve your problem.

Regarding British Jumbo coins, I was speaking to the owner of JB Magic (Mark Mason), and he says that someone is finally getting off there backsides and beginning producing British Jumbo coins. Watch this space.

I would think the patter that comes with the effect almost works better in the U.K. You're dealing with the curiosity of showing a counterfeit coin. The spectator's unfamiliarity with the small coin is an even stronger justification for using a magnifying glass to point out the inconsistencies and I think the line about the forgers counterfeiting pennies that cost them a dollar to make would play even funnier to a non-American crowd. Just a thought.

While this is not an answer to the question, I think that Derek Dingle's Inflation, from The Complete Works of Derek Dingle, is a far superior routine, though it needs some modifications. It allows for more of a presentation, but of course that is only an observation based on my own performance style. I recommend you read both routines and then decide which fits you better.