In another topic about different coins people use, a lot of people were talking about coins that aren't to common now a days, for example morgan dollars and walking liberty. Wouldn't these uncommon coins that are used in a magicial way just scream to the spectator.."hey since I have never seen these coins before they must be trick coins!"

A lot of people for the same reason don't like using a black tiger deck because spectators have never seen them and they might thinks its a tricked or marked deck. I do believe though that its ok to use Half Dollars and Silver Dollars...because people have seen them before and have also got them back in there change before.

So my question to you is...Does using these older coins hurt the magicial experience for the spectator because the spectator can't relate to the item?

While some magicians might say well I let them inspect the coins before the magic happens and after to, I think that in the back of some spectators minds there still thinking there is something tricky about that coin

I think older coins make your magic more interesting and elegant. In my experience, people don't think about "trick coins" - they have never seen "trick coins" before, and it doesn't come to mind. If they are to believe that a coin is gimmicked, it will most likely be because of the impossible effect you are performing (i.e. cig through quarter) rather than the type of coin you use. I use my Kennedys when I'm in the presence of friends, but professionally, I use walking liberties. Having your coins examined before starting also helps to remove that stigma of "special coin".

While I understand the premise of your question, since people really don't use half dollars or coin dollars either, this would limit ocin magic inthe U.S. to quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies. I swtiched fromthe kennedy half to the liberty to give me a reason to have them. (These wree my grandfather's....) These were given to me my an old man at a carnival after he took all of my money...
Don't right, the audience should never suspect, let alone detect (favorite Vernon quote from Erdnase) a gimmicked coin. I also use mrograns, realsilver has a different sound and weight from the modern alloys.

Where I live, layaudiences have never seen american silver coins, nor bicycle cards, sharpies or metal cups that nest. Does it matter? Yes and no.
It matters in a way that I am not perceived as a "guy who does a trick with something".
It doesn't in a way that everything I use is just what it seems to be, and I handle it that way. I let them know that if they ask and if they are cautious they can handle my props...because the props aren't cheap, not because they are "tricky".

It's your magic.

They are your coins.

They can be whatever you want them to be.

It's my magic.

They're my coins.

They can be whatever I want them to be.

EVERYBODY.... ;-)

Ralph:

Michael Rubinstein really sums your question up very well.

When I do C/S/B or Hopping Half with Silver Dollar size coins, the longer they handle and look at the coins, the more the trick pulls them in.

In fact it is the unfamiliarity with the coins that often helps me start a coin routine. I ask them if they have ever seen any of these coins before. Once we are done talking about the history or origin of the coins, we are at the same place of acceptability as we would be if I had removed “pocket” coins out of my jacket.

Bob

I don't care using different coins. I use those which work best for me, and which are visible to the audience.
I live in Switzerland. I use Morgan Dollars, Barbers, old English Pennies, old Chinese Coins, and nothing else. I was never asked about the "odd" coins. The trick is what counts.

Sometimes an unfamiliar coin can add to the interest in a routine. There are some really neat old coins that are fairly common in Europe, that can be used for many different routines. There are older coins from Mexico that work well, too. Few people write routines with them, because they would rather have a routine that is saleable.

I use '64 halve's. their nice, you can talk about them a little bit, and they're really shiney and cool looking. Oh, and if you do some great magic, people aren't even going to think about special coins. . . well that's what I think.

One more thing, you can always palm one of the gaffed coins and show them "real" coins, and then ditch the real ones and bring out the gaffed ones. That's what most people do with a [.
Rmax