I was recently watching some footage of Fred Kaps from the DVD "Seeing is Believing"(highly recommended) and was wondering if anyone hear knows what type of jumbo coins he is using for the coin portion of his manipulation act, or their modern day equivalent. The routine reminds me of Vernon's Champagne Glass Routine only Kaps doesn't use a glass. Eric Evans has some nice coins you can buy with his Coin Act DVD (highly recommended) but was wondering if there were any others? Thanks!

-Ben

Gary Kurtz has some nice routines with jumbo coins on his "Let's Get Flurious" video.

Hi Ben:

If you are talking about the Jumbo Coin routine, then I believe Kaps was using 3 inch diameter metal jumbo coins. If my memory serves me correctly, the coins had an image of a joker or a court jester on them and I have never seen coins like this before or since.

The actual coins themselves were sold at an auction at the Tannen's Jubilee soon after Fred Kaps had died. I know that the antique magic dealer Ray Goulet had purchased a few of the coins. But I don't know if he still has them.

If you are referring to the coins in the silk routine, that was taught on the Vernon Revelations video Volume 5, then I don't know what kind of coins they are. From the videos I've seen they look to be silver dollars but with low resolution video it is hard to tell. Perhaps Pete Biro would know as he was a close friend of Mr. Kaps.

Best Regards,
Levent
http://www.LeventMagic.com

I know Marc Desousa has lot of Kaps information and could possibly shed some light on the subject.

Richard

Hi RIchard:

You are right!! Marc Desouza would be THE expert to ask about Kaps. Frankly, I would not be surprised if Marc actually had Fred Kaps' coins.

Best regards,
Levent
http://www.LeventMagic.com

I just got a chance to watch “seeing is believing”. Wow, I never knew who Fred Kaps was. Are there any videos available that breaks down his moves, routines?

I bet Marc has Fred Kaps frozen in his basement...Cordially,Howard

I was lucky enough to see Kaps do that act in his living room rehearsing before he ever did it in front of an audience.

The "Jumbo Coins" weren't coins at all but "coasters for protecting the table when a glass contaning a drink was placed on one." He found these in a department store and bought up all they had.

The "chest" he tossed the "coins" into was one he made with the internal gaffe a creation of Pat Page.

HA! I'm putting Kaps on an even higher pedestal in my mind now! A True Legend.

Thanks Pete!

Hi All,

ALthough I don't have Mr. Kaps frozen in my basement, I have a number of his personal props. Ray Goulet has the Chest that Kaps actually used in his act, along with several of the Jumbo Coins under discussion. I have had the privledge of perfroming my handling of the Kaps routine with the original props when I presented my History of Magic Through Performance lecture for the New England Magic Collectors Association.

I also have one of the coins in my collection. It has a crest of sorts embossed in it, which Kaps used as his logo. BTW, my version of the routine, along with my handling of Kaps' Diminishing Bills, is performed and taught on my new set of DVD's which will be released by L&L Publishing this summer.

Marc DeSouza

Yes, Marc you are correct. That cryogenic container is NOT technically in your basement. That room really should be considered the first floor of your beautiful home.

Your real basement is actually 100 feet underground and it is where your keep Elvis, the Elephant Man, Sasquatch, Nicola Tesla and the mating pair of Unicorns.

By the way do you know what kind of coins Kaps used for the Vernon routine with the handkerchief? I'm curious!

Best regards,
Levent

P.S. Look forward to seeing your new DVDs from L&L

Not sure if he used "soft" Morgans or HALF DOLLARS... I had the chance to get his soft morgans but didn't as I undestood someone else wanted them. I do have Kaps' dice cup (made by Crandall) his hand carved Ivory Skullocation, a Himber card box, his smoking thumb gimmick, a holster he used and his Kaps Wallet, a set of his jumbo Chinese coins (full set) and another item he doesn't want tipped.

Hi Pete:

Knowing how big his hands were and judging from the videos of his act. I would say that the coins looked to be dollar sized. So perhaps the "Soft" Morgans were the kind of coins used in the routine?

Best regards,
Levent
http://www.LeventMagic.com

Cellini has a great version of the Kaps coin and handkerchief routine that's a little simpler and just as beautiful(in my opinion). Jim used soft silver dollars (peace dollars I believe) and a 22"-24" silk. I believe it's taught on his street lecture dvd as well as magic that can be performed anywhere.

Pete, is the Kaps smoking thumb gimmick the same gimmick that Pat Page is writing the instruction for these days? I've thought about picking one up, but am curious if it's really the same thing Kaps used.

best,
Ben

Marc can not wait to get your new DVD....Your old friend Howard Vanderbeck

Hi Howard,

Hopefully, the wait won't be too long, buddy. I just went through the draft disks and they look pretty good. Just a few edit corrections, plus credits and they should be good to go. I think purchasers should be very happy with the product.

It's difficult to tell what size coins Kaps actually used for the Coin and Handkerchief routine. His hands were huge and would dwarf a Silver Dollar, so I suspect that's what he used. I personally use the Nielsen Palming Coins in my routine, because they fit the Diminishing Bills gaff very easily and they handle really easily for the rolldowns. BTW, I don't use the Vernon/Kaps Coins and Hanky, buecause I don't feel it is quite visual enough. I use a 4 coin vanish and reproduction sequence that was taught to me by Pierre Brahma 30 years ago. That routine is also on the DVD set.

Marc

Are we being punked?
Just emailed LL publications about Marc DeSouza'a information.

"HI,

There is no release date and no mention of a sale of any sort.
Will keep you posted thru our email newsletter.

Thank you,

Leann Dyer
Customer Service Department
L&L Publishing

Pete, was his 'Smoking a Thumb' the brass model sold by Martin Breeze or like the Owen Magic model turned out of wood? Always curious about this.

I am at awe that the Jumbo Coins Kaps used are Cardboard coasters. They looked very real and the illusion created by him were superior.

Marc's hands aren't exactly tiny either. Looking forward to the DVDs.

Kaps made his own smoking thumb gimmick. The Owen one is wrong, the Breese one with Pat Page instructions is about a close as you will find. Fred's was just hand made, olde and beat up looking. The Breese one is the same, just machined nicely.

The key to it, however, and Fred told me this... He said, "I'm just a better manipulator." His ability to palm, change over, dump and retrieve was 90-percenet of it. You have to really watch his video performances to see one of the real secrets. It is there, bun 99% of those watching miss it.

His "spare" was given to Tom Mullica.