Introduction 13.
Multiple clink vanish
1. My walk around coin act
a. Empty retention vanish
b. Drop out vanish
c. Drop out shuttle pass
d. Clink pass replacement
e. Drop out multiple clink
pass
f. One hand revolution
vanish
g. Flop over vanish
h. Chain-ge finally
2. Coins to pocket
b. The reverse shuttle pass
c. Downs false pass
3. Coins through or to
pocket
4. Coins and a napkin
5. Sharpie through coin
6. Walk around twilight
7. Acme portable hole card
8. Multiplicity vanish
fingertip production
9. Getting one ahead
10. The identity vanish
11. Retention of coinage
12. Midair coin vanish
14. variant
15. Han Ping Chein like
16. Clink with a flop
17. Another take on the
spider
18. Four gone coins
19. Free flight opener
20. Four bits and a box
21. Candelabra- cadabra
22. Okito and the pen
23. Chink E. Chink
24. Coins and a purse
25. The Purse: follow up
26. China syndrome
27. International divide
28. The purse switch
29. The marked centavo
30. Finale for coins
31. The jumbo change
32. JBW visual production
33. Coin and a glass
34. Purse game division
35. Matrix fusion
36. Coins and a card box
37. Portal coin
38. Made in China
 Introduction

When I was young I never spent time in magic shops nor went to conventions etc.
It wasn’t until later in life that I was seen around other magicians. I decided that after
seeing Doug Henning on television that I was going to do what he did. Doug Henning
Being one of the great performers of magic made it easy to see what was so special about
performing.
I did not know how to go about learning to do magic so I started to figure it out
myself. I learned how to make a coin vanish and appear without ever being taught by
anyone. I found a book at the library which taught the French drop which planted the
seed of false transfers in my head. With this seed planted I would come to develop many
of my own techniques for vanishing coins.
I performed these routines for real people for years after finding my first
restaurant gig when I was 13 years old. After three years I went to the local magic shop
and got a job, I then learned about Paul Harris, David Roth, Frank Garcia, etc. I loved the
magic they performed but never gave up my own style and sleights even if some people
said what I was doing might not be the right way.
Almost 20 years later I still perform these routines for lay audiences. Later on
after seeing some of the magic the world had to offer I applied some of the techniques to
other routines. I also applied my own thinking to some of the gaffs the world had to offer.
A couple of examples are the Karate coin and the expanded shell but I always went back
to four or five non-gaffed coins.
Today I do a bit of all of it I will use some gaffs but not many and very few coin
gaffs. This makes my pockets very light when walking around. I would recommend
doing magic with un-gaffed items whenever possible. It will make you have to carry little
to nothing around with you but of course this is simply opinion.
 I am going to begin this manuscript by teaching my own stand up coin routine. It
was designed for table and walk around work. The nice thing is after you perform it, it is
instantly reset. The coins used are not gaffed in any way and it is easy to perform. I have
endeavored to create a routine that flows and has very little hand to hand transfers for no
reason.
There are draw backs to my routine that may be of interest before going any
further. The first; you must use a wand to perform some of the sleights. Second; it is not
reset instantly if you add the kicker ending at the end. I have set the routine so it has its
own ending so that it will reset if you choose not to do the big finish.
Speaking of big finish; this routine does not have one. That is to say I do not
produce a jumbo coin at the end of the routine. I have found that this has become such
common place that I did not want to do it in my routine. So I came up with my own killer
ending. It does not make sense to some but this is what I wanted to do.
I wanted the unexpected to happen and that is how it does make a strange sort of
sense at the end. The beginning effect is where the closing effect ties in and that makes
for a circular routine that will add a bit of sense to the finish.
As I begin to describe the routine I will break it down so that the explanation of
the sleight is done at the point in the routine as it is performed. I will also break the
routine down into separate effects and phases so you can piece them together like
learning a dance routine. Many of the moves used are being published for the first time
here, and were designed for this routine.

There are many classical moves that take place in this routine as well; I am going
to gloss over them as they are in print in many places.

My Walk Around Coin Act

I want to describe the very first effect that I use to open the coin routine. You will
need a fake cigarette and a small bracelet that can be seen from a good distance away.
You will also need a bill snatcher, attach the bill snatcher to the filter end of the cigarette
with some strong adhesive.
The back of the bill snatcher needs to have a safety pin attached to it so that it can
be pinned up inside the sleeve or just inside the lapel of your coat. You will notice that
you can use this simple rig to vanish a cigarette but I add a small gag to it that I found in
a book called “101 comedy props”.
You will clip the end of the bracelet to the back of the cigarette, the chain is held
in the cupped fingers out of sight. Walk out saying “I used to be a smoker....” You then
turn the hand and allow the bracelet to fall from your fingers and dangle at the end of the
cigarette. “That’s right, a chain smoker....”
Your right hand comes over and pulls the chain free of your left hand and holds it
to the right side as you look at it, at the same time you release the grip on the cigarette
and it is vanished. You then say something like “but as I said… used to be a smoker....”
This intro to the routine is just to establish the presence of the chain at the beginning.
This is important to the finish which I use at the end. It makes the routine come full circle
and even gives it a bit of context.
I do not believe that everything that a magician does should make sense; in fact
you should do things that are illogical at times. This is done to show that you can do
things at anytime with whatever you like. I can hardly stand when people say that a
magician did things that did not make sense. This is not to say doing wild moves to
accomplish an effect is a good idea. I am referring to making objects appear that make no
sense.
There is a coin routine where a magician links coins together into a weird looking
sculpture comprised of seven or eight coins. This is good in many ways it shows the
audience that you are thinking of things to do that you have never done.
I used to perform it as I told a story about how doing magic sometimes is boring
to me and that when I get bored I do strange things with it. As I am talking I place the
coins together and link them as if I am making this up on the spot. I toss this little
sculpture onto the table for examination as I move onto another effect.
Much like the linking rings there is little sense in doing it, link these weird objects
together just to take them apart again, but I think that some effects should be done just
because you can. I believe that the ending to my routine, I call Chain-ge finale, fits this
all too well and is a welcome departure from a jumbo coin production.

The Coin Routine

The routine begins with four coins in your right pants pocket. Your wand will be
stashed in your back pocket or wherever. There is a get ready for this routine but it is
done right in front of the audience.
Place both of your hands into your pocket as if you are looking for something.
While your hands are there your right hand will classic-palm a coin. Remove your hands
and retrieve your wand as you say “I would like to show you a trick” (Or something less
drone like).
Using your right hand you place the wand under your arm pit, during this you will
load the coin there as well. This is a simple thing to do by letting the coin fall to fingertip
rest position. When the wand is placed under your arm you press the coin against your
side and slide it along with the wand. When you clamp down to retain the wand your coin
will be retained as well. This will allow you to show your hands empty before the coin is
produced later.
This next sequence is here for one reason to sell the production of the coin at the
beginning. Pull the wand from under your arm so it will not dislodge the coin from its
safe hide away. (The patter from here on is simply to show you the timing of the routine,
please use your own to make a better effect.)
“I would like to show you some magic”. Do a wand spin or another flourish to
casually show the hands empty. Tuck the wand back under your arm but this time you
are going to let the coin fall from its hiding place. Your right hand will be conveniently
under it as it falls. It will take a bit of practice and a knack to keep it from sounding off
on the wand as it drops.
If you did this the only way it can be done the coin will be in or around finger
palm. You will now do the gratuitous pulling up of the sleeves with the coin in Ramsey
Subtlety position, to show your hands empty. Produce the coin at the tips of your right
fingers.
Anyone who has seen this routine knows that I have a different way of handling
coins and my displays of the coin are a little different than what you may be used to. I am
not trying to say it has never been done before but I use this grip to accomplish many of
my moves. I will describe this slight grip adjustment later on down the line. You will now
make the coin vanish and once again show your hands completely empty after the
“vanish”.

The Empty Retention Vanish

The starting point for the move is what makes this a little different. Place the coin
on your thumb so that it is about three quarters of an inch over the tip of your thumb. The
index finger will now clip the coin to the thumb with only its finger nail. This position is
going to feel very odd at first but you will get used to it. Loosely curl the fingers in under
the index finger. This position can be seen in figure #1.
You will now bring this hand up to your left hand as if to place it inside. Your left
hand is palm up in the position generally associated with a Retention Vanish. The left
fingers are going to curl around the coin as it is eclipsed the coin will be pulled back into
your right hand. When the coin is behind the finger of the left hand your left

Fig. #1

middle finger pulls the coin to the position shown in the figure #2. The middle finger
stays curled until it is just behind the left fingers. The left hand acts as if it contains the
coin by closing slightly.
 Fig. #2

When the left hand moves away keep your eyes on that hand. In addition to this you can
add this edge type grip to conceal the coin in the right hand.

Fig. #3

When the coin is carried back and clipped against the thumb the right index finger
can curl ever so slightly against the edge of the coin. This will put pressure against the
ball of the thumb and hold the coin concealed behind the index finger. The right middle,
ring finger, and pinky open to show the palm empty (Fig.#3) You carry the coin away in
the left hand.
It is imperative that you focus all your attention on your left hand as it moves
away. This will help sell the illusion that the coin is in your left hand. Relax your right
and let the coin fall from its clip position into finger palm. You have to watch your angles
here so the coin does not flash as it falls. A trial or two in front of a mirror will give the
look you require to pull it off.

Added details: I want to focus on the action of each of your hands for this vanish
in better detail. You will hold the coin against your thumb as the first photo shows. Begin
to place the coin into your outstretched left hand as you would do with any standard type
Retention Vanish.
Begin to curl your left fingers up in front of the coin as it touches your left palm.
When the coin is fully behind your left fingers you will place your right middle finger
onto the face of the coin closest to the audience so that you can pull it back and to your
right.
The middle finger will basically snap the coin back so that it is will be clipped
between the underside of your thumb and the side of your middle finger. Your middle
finger will be curled inward so the tip of it points back at the base of your thumb after it
draws the coin inward. The coin itself will be centralized on the first digit of your middle
finger.
 As soon as the coin is snapped free from your index fingers you will extend it
forward so the tip of it will be slightly past the tip of your thumb. This will also assure
that your index finger tip is past the coin slightly as well. Press your index finger back
against the edge of the coin so that it is applying pressure to it and the base of your
thumb.
If you did everything correctly you should have the coin held directly under your
thumb with it pressed into the crease at the base of your thumb. From above you should
be able to see the coin protruding from each side of your thumb and your index finger
should be pressing the coin near its center edge.
You will now be able to pull your fingers outward as shown in the second photo
above and the coin should be held suspended without falling. Remember to hold the coin
there with as light of pressure as you can so that your hand does not looked cramped as
this will ruin the illusion.

This vanish is done at a steady pace it is not rushed, make it an event. Make it
seem like this coin vanishing is the most important event they will witness tonight. One
thing I will touch on here is if you did this right you will notice the spectators eyes will
immediately look to the right hand. It is human nature to look for the answer to this
problem of where the coin went. So you must be one step ahead of them.
In order to do this properly you will place the coin in the left hand (Not really)
you will watch the left hand carry the coin away as you flash the right hand. You let the
coin drop to finger palm as you drop your right hand down just above waist level. Turn
the palm downward and retain the coin in finger-palm. You then point to the left hand as
you crumple the fingers. This is known as a Ramsey Subtlety it shows your hand empty
even though there is a coin inside.
Before you open the hand to affect the “vanish” you remove the wand and load
the coin under your arm as you did at the beginning. Tap your left hand with the wand to
make the coin vanish. Once again you tuck the wand under the arm and allow the coin to
drop into your right hand.
The next step is to do a nice little hand washing move to show the hand empty
while concealing the coin. It will also allow you to transfer the coin to your left for the
production to follow.
You will now perform a sequence that was the creation of Tony Slydini (this
move can be found in great detail in Kaufman’s Coin Magic). You show your left hand is
held empty and palm up in front of you, the left arm is still bent and pressed against the
side to retain the wand. Your right hand travels over your left palm in an arch from your
right. The right hand is palm down and about two inches over your left palm as it travels
past your left hand and up to the wand.
The right hand will travel back to take hold of the wand as it does the coin is
dropped from the right classic palm onto the palm up left hand. When the coin hits your
left palm your left hand tilts up slightly to conceal the coin. This is like an open Ramsey
subtlety and it shows the left hand still empty.
When you drop the coin you endeavor to hit your left hand where you would
finger-palm the coin. The right hand takes hold of the wand in a very open manner so it
can be seen empty. Pull the wand from under the arm and perform a wand spin and tap
the wand onto your left palm.
 When the wand is about to hit the palm of your left hand you will straighten out
with a slight jerk. This should shoot the coin onto the palm of the left hand just at the
time the wand strikes it. It will look as if the coin appeared at the end of the wand as it hit
the hand. If you take the time to do this move in front of the mirror it will become
obvious how it must all come about.
The next vanish that occurs is going to be the Vernon Wand Spin/Silent Mora
Coin Vanish. Do not pick the coin up at all at this point. Close your hand around the coin
and get it clipped outside of your hand. It will be clipped between your fingertips and the
heal of your left hand. The left hand will be palm down in a loose fist with the coin
pointing at the floor.
Begin the wand spin with your left hand about chest level or a bit below. You are
going to spin the wand around your left hand as it rotates around your hand you release
the coin and catch it. When you place the wand back under your arm you will leave the
coin there as well.
After the coin is under your arm open your left hand and show the coin gone. You
can then gesticulate with your hands to show them both empty. Slowly reach into your
right pocket and produce the coin. This coin will be a second but the audience does not
know this. They should think it to be the same coin. That will bring phase one to an end.
The first phase is done at a brisk pace if you count in your head you should have a
“vanish” and “reproduction” on every beat.
I am choosing to leave out a a highly detailed description of the Vernon/ Mora
wand spin as there are plenty of other resources on this that do a great job explaining it.
There are also a few variation which you find more to your liking by other magicians as
well. So it would do well to research the one you think is best.
Phase two; is short and sweet. It will set you up for the production of the second
coin while performing a one coin routine. The one coin routine to follow is a very
Slydini’esque routine. In fact little has changed from Stars of Magic except the method to
get into it. It also takes a cue from Gary Kurtz using a sequence from his Coin Fluorius.
You will place the coin in your right hand into your left hand or it appears to be. But it is
retained in your right hand as follows:
 Drop Out Vanish
You will hold a silver dollar in your right hand; it is pinched to the side of the
index finger with the thumb. Figure #1 shows this from your point of view. You will now
pull the coin behind the fingers. By itself it means nothing but with the other hand
“taking” the coin it becomes a very strong vanish.

Fig. #1

The coin is held above the right hand as per figure #2 the right hand will now
move downward behind the left fingers. When the coin is out of sight behind the left
fingers the left hand will act as if it grasps the coin between the thumb and the inside of
the fingers; the left hand acts as if it clipped the coin.
The right will pull the coin out of sight behind its fingers using your thumb. The
eyes travel the same path as the left hand as if it is watching the hand containing the coin.
The right hand then moves the coin into the Ramsey subtlety position as it drops out of
the frame

Fig. #2

Instead of crumpling your hand and showing it gone you rub the coin (?) on your
right elbow. Then produce it from your left elbow with your right hand. Your arms will
be crossed during the above actions as they come apart you place the coin into your left
hand. It will be held in what is now called “Spellbound” position.
Perform the French drop vanish/Le Tourniquet and rub the coin (?) on your left
elbow then show the right hand empty and produce the coin from your right elbow. When
you turn to show the coin has traveled to your right elbow you relax the grip on the coin
under your arm.
 It should fall directly into your right hand. This will leave you with two coins one
in each hand. One at the tip of your left fingers the audience is aware of and the second in
finger palm in your left hand. This second coin in your left hand they of course are
unaware of.
You will now perform a sequence with the two coins that I believe was
popularized by Gary Kurtz from his coin routine called Flurious. It is performed with
jumbo coins and is quite amazing. Here however it will be done with just silver dollars
the smaller size does not diminish the visual nature of the effect.
Display the coin in your left hand with your arms crossed. Rotate your left hand
behind your right arm as it does the coin is pulled into your left hand. At the same time
the right is going to push its coin to the tips of your fingers. Every time your hand
produces the coin you will twist your body to showcase this production.
Perform this exact same thing but in reverse. It looks as if you are rolling the
coins and your arms in a circle around each other. The coin appears to be jumping from
hand to hand as they revolve around the arms. Do this sequence a couple times until the
coin is displayed at the tip of your right hand.
Cleanly flash the inside of your right hand so it can be seen empty. Do not overdo
it just display the coin with your hand open so the palm can be seen. The coin is going to
be shuttle passed to the left hand using the Drop Out Shuttle Pass.

Drop Out Shuttle Pass

You will now have a silver dollar in each hand the right hands coin is exposed.
The coin in the left is out of sight behind the fingers. You will now do the same move as
done with the vanishes above with a few differences. The right drops down on the left
hand as the coin is pulled to the position behind the fingers.

Fig. #1

Look closely at figure #1 you will notice the grip of the coin in the right hand. The right
thumb pulls the coin into finger palm as your hands come together.
 Fig. #2

The left will push its coin out of the hand (Fig. #2) and immediately moves away with the
coin (Fig #3). The spectator will believe this to be the same coin as the one that was in
the right hand a moment ago.

Fig. #3

Remember when doing this move you follow the coins path from hand to hand
with your eyes. Even though the coin is changing the audience does not know this. So
you will sell it by watching it go from hand to hand. Once the coin is displayed at the tips
of the left finger you may look away.
In my coin routine at this point I use it to show that I have only one coin prior to
producing a second coin. Reach down to your side with your right hand and pluck the
coin it has hidden from a fold in your pants.

Take the coins in your right hand so they are spread apart for about half of the
coin. The next move will allow you to steal a coin away and make it sound as if they both
went into your hand.
 Clink Pass Replacement
This is meant to be used in place of a clink pass. It is not a pass that resembles the
aforementioned move but it uses a different method all together. I must first have you do
the move without the sleight so you can see how it sounds. Then we will do the sleight so
you can see it sounds pretty much the same.
Hold two coins between your index, middle finger, and thumb so your fingers are
on the face and your thumb is on the back. They will be slightly spread; this would be a
natural way to simply display two coins at your finger tips. Notice the second finger lies
on the face of the lower most coin.
Hold your left hand palm up so it is loosely opened and the fingers are slightly
curled up. Place the spread coins into your left hand so there edges go right into the
crease where your fingers meet your palm. Close your fingers around the coins in a loose
fist. You will notice the coins make a bit of noise as they enter your hand and you close
it.
The move is going to mimic this in almost exacting detail. It looks exactly the
same but the noise is slightly different. However there is no way to tell unless you do it
both ways one right after another.
Hold the coin exactly the way did it a moment ago. As the coins are going behind
the fingers you will do the retention pull back as explained in my retention vanish. The
single coin is laid in the crease as you did it before. Your right hand will have the coin
held clipped between your middle finger tip and the underside of your thumb.

Fig. #1

The final clip position is illustrated in figure #1. If you relax your grip on the coin
it can be dropped into finger-palm. You will of course not do this right away. In fact you
must wait for the right moment so the focus is off both hands at the same time
One last small detail in regards to how you hold the coins; place two coins
between your right middle finger and thumb in a squared position. Push the rear coin
upward with your thumb until roughly half the coin is showing behind the front coin of
the pair. This will be the proper starting position.
During the coin routine you perform this sleight and remove the wand from under
your arm and ditch the coin as you have been doing all this way. It will be held there
during the next sequence of moves. Hold the wand in your right hand so the palm can be
seen empty.
Your left hand will maneuver the remaining coin to the same position as before
for the wand spin. Do the “Wand Spin” to vanish the remaining coin from your left hand.
This will give the impression that both coins vanished from the left hand right after the
wand spin flourish.
Open your left hand and show the two coins gone. Place the wand into your left
hand and at the same time the coin in your right will be transferred to your left hand. The
coin will be held there in a Ramsey subtlety so the coin cannot be seen for a moment.
This is going to be the first time you will stop your routine for a breather as you address
the group watching.
Place the wand under your arm once again and steal the coin into your right
fingers by releasing the pressure from your arm. This will leave you with a coin secreted
in finger palm of both hands.
Place your right hand into your right pocket and bring out the two coins in there at
your fingertips. Reach up with your left hand and produce the third coin at your left
finger tip. This is a nice moment the audience knows you went to your pocket with your
right hand to bring out the coins but you then produce a coin from the left hand that was
in site the whole time.
Hold the coin in the same position with the coin pressed against the left fingers
with your left thumb. Bring the coin back toward your right hand and pull it behind the
fingers as you let the two coins in the right hand fall into the palm onto the hidden coin in
finger palm. It should look as if you tossed the third coin into your right hand and it fell
with the other two. This is known as the Drop Out Multiple Clink Pass;

Drop Out Multiple Clink Pass

Let’s clarify the above sequence of movements so that you can do it with the best
opportunity to make it work for you. You will have one coin in finger palm in you right
hand. You have two coins slightly spread at your right finger tips displaying them
showing they had traveled to your right hand pants pocket.
Your left hand will have a single coin gripped as I have discussed elsewhere in
this manuscript where instead of being held at the extreme fingertips it is clipped to the
side of the index finger by your thumb. I am going to break down the motion of this hand
first as it is important to understand the small details to make this look its best and it is
the small details that sell it.
Hold the coin in front of you in your left hand it should be in front of you about a
foot from your chest. This is natural at this time because you just reached out and plucked
the coin from the air. When you do reach forward you will do so in a manner that rocks
the hand slightly forward away from you. This action will also cause the coin to rock
forward just a fraction of an inch.
Bring your left hand back toward your right hand and rock it inward to a palm
down position. You will note as you do the back of your hand will begin to eclipse the
coins view from your audience. As the coin begins to fall behind the hand you will pull it,
using your thumb, into a finger palm position.
Relax your left hand and draw it back to yourself and to your left. This will allow
you to constrict your fingers around the coin which is in finger palm. Drop your hand
down to a relaxed position at you waist for the moment. It will remain here as you display
the coins on the palm of your outstretched right hand.
Now that we have discussed the left hand movements we will discuss your right
hand motion. While displaying the two coins at your fingertips you will be sure that your
fingertips point to your left more or less in a natural looking position.
When your left hand travels back to your right hand and begins to rotate palm
down you are going to rotate your right hand palm upward. Curl your fingers inward
slightly so that the two coins on display will fall into the palm of your hand onto the coin
which is hidden in your hand already.
Open your right hand so that it is now palm upward so the coins are lying flat on
your palm. You should keep your fingers together so that the coins do not fall from your
hand. You will time this action so that your hand opens directly under and behind your
left hand as the coin in it is pulled into its finger palm position.
By doing this slight forward roll away from you and followed by the backward
motion it should look as if you are giving the coin a very gentle toss into your right hand
as it opens. It will not be a jerking toss though but rather a light toss simply caused by the
rolling of the hand; more of almost a dumping action.

Phase four: is a simple version of a fingertip coins across. It is simple in

operation as well as speed of effect. It will be over before there is any time to reconstruct
what has happened.
At this point you should have three coins spread in the fingertips of your right
hand and a hidden coin in finger palm in your left hand. The coins which are in your right
should be spread in such a manner that the top coin of the spread is closest in the stack to
you.
Reach slightly to your right with your left hand and produce the coin. This will
mask your right hand long enough for you to pull the top coin in your right hand behind
the others using your right thumb. You will find that you must hold the other two coins
steady in order to do so.
When the coin is produced it will leave the left hand out front of your right hand.
“That is one that has traveled…” Open the left hand up to display the coin between the
tips of the index finger and thumb. The palm will be more or less open toward the
audience.
You will now say “That leaves two in the right hand...” The left hand will draw
back toward your body as your right will move forward to display the two coins. The left
hand will travel slightly under the right as you close the left hand fingers so that the coin
in the left is held between the index finger and thumb.
During this hand motion the right hand will release its grip on the bottom coin of
the spread. It will fall straight down directly into your left hand finger-palm as it travels
back. One other thing occurs as the hands switch places: your right hand now spreads the
coins it still holds and rubs them together. This will cover the noise of the coins in the
event that the falling coin strikes the coin in the left hand. It will also hide the noise of the
coin as it drops from the hand.
You will actually be moving your left hand forward and displaying its coin as you
say “that is one coin here..” then switching hands to display the two coins in your right
hand as you say “that is now two coins here…” this back and forth motion is to
emphasize which hand you are referring to but in reality it allows for this switch of the
coins. You will again do this pattern to cause the second coin to pass as well.
While you are still rubbing the coins your left hand is going to reposition the
coins so they are over lapping each other. The next move is a bit touchy but if done in a
non caring manner it flies right past.
Hold the two coins in your right hand so that you’re displaying the coins in an
overlapped position in your fingertips. Your fingers should be more or less pointing to an
8 o’ clock position from you view. Bring this hand up so that your fingers point upward
to display the two coins so that your hand is just under your chin level and off to the right
of your body.
“I have two here but if I had two here; then I must only have one here…” as you
say “I have two here…” you look at your right hand. Then as you say “but if I had two
here…” you lift the left hand up and display the two coins you have in this hand as you
shift your head to look at that hand. You will also bring your right hand back just a bit so
that your left hand can be more forward of it for this display.
As soon as you see the two coins in your left hand you should release the grip on
one of the coins in your right hand allowing it to drop behind your fingers. If and when
timed correctly your audience will see the two coins in your left hand and immediately
look back to your right hand but because you dropped the coin it will now be missing.
This is a really strong moment; it does take a bit of guts to try it the first time if you are
not adept at this whole misdirection thing.
The next coin will be done under a corny ancient gag often seen in effects of this
nature. “The next coin you will see travel right before your very eyes…” Please use better
patter than this if you are going to do this effect. I am just trying to get the point across
with the patter suggestions.
Following this line look at the coin in your right hand intently and place it at the
top of the spread in your left hand as you say “Amazing isn’t it…” During this off beat
reach over with your right hand and take the top coin. You do not really take the coin it is
pulled down behind your left fingers and subsequently behind the coins as well.
The right hand acts as if it has the coin in it; when the right hand is about five
inches away produce the coin in your right hand. It should look as if the coin was just
passed to the left for a corny gag and taken back by the right hand. Hold the coin between
your index finger and thumb in position for the next one handed coin vanish it is called
the One Handed Revolution Vanish:
 One Handed Revolution Vanish

This vanish is going to be very hard to describe in writing. So it may be good if

you have the coin in your hand as you read.
The coin is held in your hand so it is clipped to your index finger by your thumb.
You will begin to push the coin over your index finger with your thumb. The index finger
will curl in under the coin and the middle finger will take the coin as the thumb allows
the coin to snap over it.
The coin will now be clipped between the index and middle finger. The thumb
will push the coin from behind and under back up to the position it started from. In
essence the coin has simply revolved around the index finger. You will revolve the coin
around a few times before affecting a vanish as follows:
When you are ready to make the coin vanish you will bring the coin into a
position that is known as edge grip. It is only held here for a moment so the middle finger
can curl around the coin. The thumb will let go of the coin so that it is only held by your
middle finger.

Figure
#1

I want to take a few moments to explain the hands motions during the vanish.
You do not simply place the coin into edge grip. You must cover these motions with a
larger motion.
Begin with the coin in the starting position above. As you begin to push the coin
over your index finger you will drop the hand by bending at the wrist. The thumb will
then begin to push the coin back to the starting point as the hand turns inward and back
up. In all reality all you are doing is making a circle with the hand while the coin travels
around the index finger.
When you get ready to affect the vanish you will push the coin over your index
finger with your thumb doing the downward motion. This time when the coin is supposed
to come back around you move it to edge grip as follows:
Push the coin over your index finger. When the middle finger comes up to clip the
coin it will be held by your thumb and the side of the middle finger. The thumb will pull
back on the edge of the coin and the fingers straighten out. This will leave the coin in the
edge grip position.
The middle finger will curl in and encompass the edges of the coin. The hand will
travel up in the arch as before. Now turn your hand partially palm up as you rub the
thumb on the index and middle finger tips. Make a slight upward toss with this hand as
you separate the thumb from your fingertips. The coin will be concealed from sight by
the curled middle finger.
You do have to watch your angles with this vanish. It will not work in all places.
The circular motion of the hand should be fluid and not to rapid. Striving to make this
vanish a fluid motion is key to its success.
One other point that must be looked at is this; when you make a coin vanish using
just one hand the heat will be on that hand longer than a two handed vanish. With this in
mind you must have a place to take them immediately after the coin is gone; do not let
this vanish linger to long.

While attention is on your right hand your left hand will push the hidden coin, the
one you pulled back with your thumb a moment ago, up to the top of the stack. I must
stress, you need to put as much space between the two hands. This should not be a
ridiculous amount of space and you should not look awkward.
When you are finished you should draw attention to the coins in the left hand so it
can be seen to have all three there now. The right hand will take the coins back and does
a multiple coin vanish. The vanish I use here is a version of my flop over vanish. When it
is done properly it not only gives retention of vision it also gives you an audible
reinforcement.
I will begin by describing the “Flop Over Vanish”. I will then describe the slight
changes that are required to make it work with multiple coins. The changes will also set
you up for a nice subtlety to show your hands empty.

Flop Over Vanish

This vanish is used in the middle of a routine when you need something other
than a fingertip retention vanish. The coin is held on your right palm so the edge of the
coin is laying on the edge of your ring finger.

Figure
#1

Place the back of your right hand over the tips of your left hand fingers. Begin to
roll the right hand over onto the left hand as if to drop the coin into it. In reality you will
lift the ring finger just enough to clip the edge of the coin. This will allow the coin to flop
over.
 It will then be held clipped by the ring and middle finger. The left hand will now
close as if the coin is inside. The nice thing about this is when the coin flops over it can
be seen falling into the left hand. The flash of the coin moving is seen right above the
side of your index finger. This gives a retention quality in and of itself.
The “Flop Over Vanish” can be used to vanish a number of coins. To accomplish
this you must hold the coins in a finger palm position in your right hand. They are going
to be in a stack when you set them down. You tilt the hand to the left ever so slightly
allowing the coins to spread to the left. When the coins spread they will stop when the
edge of the top coin hits the side of your pinky finger.
Practice of this move will show where the coin must be positioned in order to
accomplish this move. Tip the right hand over onto your left hand, at the same time the
pinky will clip the top coin as they begin to fall. The pinky will curl in so the face of the
coin will land on the side of your finger.
When the coins strike the side of your pinky they will make a cascading type
sound. Immediately curl your ring finger around the coins and close your left hand as if it
contained the coins. Turn your right hand partially palm up and flash the palm of your
hands as being empty.
This will be done like a Ramsey subtlety with the exception that the coins are on
their edges instead of finger-palm position. From here you can ditch the coins in your
pocket to end.
I have been using this sleight since around 1983; it is a very nice little vanish of a
single or multiple coins when done at the right angles. As with all vanishes you should
not do the exact same vanishes repeatedly. You must vary them to a degree so you do not
get burned the same way twice. By changing your method often you give yourself an
edge over those who are watching.

Added notes:
I am going to tell you the effect I do before the coin routine as well as the closer
that I do at the end. The opening effect sets up the finale of the routine there by making
the illogical effect seem more rational. You will need to make an easy to build prop that
will vanish a cigarette.
You will need a dollar snatcher from a five and dime or novelty store. You will
also need a fake cigarette to vanish. This cigarette is one of those that you puff and it
looks as if you are smoking it.
Glue a safety pin to the back of your dollar snatcher using a hot glue gun. You can
increase the glues strength by scuffing the case from the dollar snatcher and gluing to that
spot. Glue the string from the dollar snatcher to the filter of the cigarette so it is on the
outside of the filter.
This little pull can be attached just about anywhere you would like. I attach it to my shirt
just behind the breast of my suit coat when I perform. It is just a bit below chest level but
above your waist.
You will also need a cheap chain bracelet which will match the one the finale
gimmick is made from. Pull the cigarette out from behind your coat and hold it in your
right hand so it is clipped to the side of your finger with your thumb. The chain is going
to be clipped to the end of the cigarette with your middle finger and thumb. The
remainder of the chain will be cradled in your curled right fingers out of sight from the
audience.
You will jerk your hand upward and back down allowing the chain to dangle from
the end of the cigarette. “I used to be a chain smoker…” Reach over with your left hand
and take the chain and hold it up next to your face and say “But not anymore…”Release
the grip on the cigarette so it will fly into your jacket Then look down at your right hand
as you open it; your group should now see the smoke is gone. Toss the chain into your
right hand and pocket the chain. If you are going to do the…,
Chain-ge finale you will need to do the following to ditch the chain. Toss the
chain into your right hand and act as if you put it into your pocket then reach behind
yourself and remove your wand from your back pocket. Use this time to drop the chain in
your back pocket.
The reason that you ditch the chain is due to the fact that the two chains in your
pocket will tangle up when you remove it later. By ditching it in the back pocket you
make for a neat handling later during the finale.
The use of the Chain smoker gag is an old gag. I found it in a book from Abbott's
Magic called 101 Comedy Props. I do not know who invented it but it can be found there
along with some other great ideas.

Chain-ge Finale
The finale to this routine is quite a different departure to the norm. In most coin
routines the jumbo coin has become the staple of the finish. In this routine you will take
the chain that is produced and combine it into a bracelet with the coins fused to it. This
makes a nice little bracelet that you then put on your wrist so you can go onto another
effect.
You will need to build the finale gimmick. It is easy to build and very easy to
carry with you wherever you go. It will be made from three coins that match your
working coins. Begin by drilling two holes in each coin on opposite sides of the coins so
you can attach split rings to it.
Go to a craft store and purchase a bit of chain for making necklaces and the like.
You will also need a few of the rings to attach the pieces of chain to the coins. The hole
should be drilled in the coins so the rings will just fit through. You can figure out how to
put the bracelet together by looking at the one in the illustration below.
 This is going to be in the bottom of your pocket from the beginning of the routine.
You will drop a playing card into your pocket so it holds the bracelet closest to your
body.
Then place the four loose coins into the pocket as well but they will be held on the
outside of the card. This card is simply there to keep them separate while you perform the
routine. If you need the pocket empty later you could make a price card that says “Sale
$19.99”. Then at the end you place this in front of your hand and go into your best QVC
pitch for your bracelet. This will leave the pocket empty at the end of your routine. Now
back to the handling.
You have just ditched the bracelet in your back pocket and you tucked the wand
under your arm. The audience will believe that the bracelet is in your pocket. There is no
attention brought to it but it will register later. You are set to perform the routine up to the
point where you have the three coins in your right hand and one is hidden in finger palm
in your left hand.
Perform the “Flop Over Vanish” with the multiple coins and go to your pocket to
retrieve the chain. Leave behind the coins and bring out the bracelet with the coins hidden
behind your fingers. Drop the whole thing into your left hand and jingle it around a bit.
Casually flash the inside of your left hand. The audience will see bits of chain mixed in
with the coins.
Locate the clasp and pinch it between your left index finger and thumb. Wave
your wand and allow the bracelet to drop from your hand and dangle by the clasp. All
that is left is to place the thing around your wrist and do your favorite card trick. You
could have them all fuse together in a spectators hand by dropping into their waiting
palm. Then allow them to make the discovery for themselves.
The ending of this routine is a bit of a shocker to a lay audiences. The nice thing
is that by placing it around your wrist in the middle of the show it is in sight and will
make them remember it. I have more people ask me about my unique jewelry than I do
anything else.
Perhaps in my second volume of this manuscript I will teach you my handling for
using it as an opening effect. I take the bracelet in my hand and pull it through and the
coins are pulled right of. They are left in my hand and the chain is examinable.
 Coins To Pocket I
In addition to the three coins you will have to construct as dual coin gimmick. It is
very easy to make by gluing two coins together so they are over lapping each other for
about half their width. You could also use a poster putty to hold them if you would like it
to be temporary.
The chain is going to be in your left pocket with the dual coin gimmick. The three
loose coins are going to be in your right pocket. Reach into your pockets with both hands
as you say “I have a few visual aids to get you through the next trick…”
Remove your right hand with it closed around the coins. “Three coins…” remove
your left hand with the chain hanging from your fingers. The dual coin gimmick will be
in finger-palm. “The following chain of events may be hard to follow so watch closely…”
(It would be “closely” not “watch close”)
Set the chain down on your palm with the three coins. The coins would be in the
position ready to be finger-palmed. You display them here for just a moment and perform
my “Reverse Shuttle Pass” to ring in the gaff.

The Reverse Shuttle Pass

Place three coins in your right palm where you would normally have a coin
finger-palmed. In your left hand will be a coin in finger-palm. You show the three coins
in the palm of your right hand. The left will come over the stack and pick up the top two
as one.
The right hand will turn palm down as your left turns palm up. As your left turns
palm up it releases the coins so they fall onto the coin in finger-palm. The left hand opens
out to display the three coins. That is all there is to it. It is very natural in appearance and
is more in keeping with how a “layman” would handle coins.
When performing the coins to pocket you will simply lift a single coin and allow
it to drop on the dual coin gimmick. When the right hand turns over and finger palms the
coins it will also take the chain with it. Deposit it into your right pocket along with the
two secret coins.
The coins may talk a bit as you drop them to the bottom so don’t; set them into
the bottom of your pocket. Push the coins to the tips of your left hand, in a fan, so the
loose coin is closest to you and at the top of the stack. All you have done is switch out
two normal coins for the dual coin gimmick. The spectator however will believe you just
took all three coins at your left finger tips.

From here you continue on with the coins to pocket. To affect the first vanish you
will take the top coin of the spread and make it disappear. The real action that occurs is as
follows; when your right hand covers the coin the left thumb pulls the coin behind the
other two (coin gimmick). The coin will be concealed by the duel coin gimmick and the
left hand. The right hand will draw away as if it is holding the coin. Your eyes will follow
your right hand as it draws away. Rub your fingers together and open your right hand to
show the coin as being gone.
Reach into your pocket and remove the first of two coins and show it has traveled
to your pocket. Place the coin back into your pocket but do it carefully so there will be no
talking of the coins.
Your right hand will come over and take the dual coin gimmick from your left
hand and display it as a single coin. This action will leave a single coin in the left hand.
You push the coin in your left hand to the tips of your fingers as you take the dual coin
gimmick. This will look as if you have two single coins one at the tips of each hand.
Take the dual coin gimmick and make a tossing motion toward the floor. At the
same time pull the gimmick into Tenkai palm. This will make the coin vanish from your
right hand. The right hand is going to take the single coin from your left hand as it
secretly deposits the gimmick there.
To do this the coin is held at the tip of your left hand fingers with your palm up.
The right hand will take hold of the coin with its palm down. When the coin is grasped
the right releases its grip on the gimmick. Gravity will take the coin gimmick straight into
the palm of your left hand; which is upward.
Toss the coin into the air with your right hand to show that it is the only thing in
your right hand. Perform my version of the shuttle pass to switch the real coin for the gaff
in your left hand. The gaff will look like a single coin sitting between the side of your
index finger and your thumb.
Reach into your pocket with your right hand and retrieve the two coins. Release
the coin hidden in your right hand. The reason you do this is to make the removal of the
coins go just a bit faster. If you were trying to switch the coins in your pocket it would
appear to be a bit more fumbling around.
Show the two coins and drop them back in your pocket. This will leave you with
the dual coin gimmick at your left hand and the three real coins in your pocket ready to
produce in a moment.

Downs false pass

This is my take on the Spider grip vanish which is so popular these days but it is
not a spider grip vanish at all. It does make the spectator believe that they know where
the coin is after the “vanish” much like a Spider Grip vanish. They are then shown just
how wrong they are when the other hand is opened.
You will need to get used to doing this as the action is a bit awkward and does
look a bit odd. It is this weird looking handling that makes the vanish more deceptive.
The right hand will take the coin from your left and hold it over your opened left hand.
Pull your right hand back to the right and draw the coin into Downs Palm. At that exact
moment you will snap the left hand shut as you make a tossing motion upward.
You will say “I will toss the coin into the air and make it vanish…” Right after
the toss into the air you will clinch your fist a bit tighter as if holding the coin tightly.
After a brief pause say “I know what you are thinking it is here in ….” Turn your left
hand over, and point to the back of your left hand with your right. “I would to but it is
not there…” Open your left hand and show the coin is not there.
From here I usually will switch the dual coin gimmick to my left hand so that I
can ditch it in my left pocket as I retrieve the three coins from my right hand pocket.
Doing so is very simple; hold your left hand out in front of you with your arm bent at
roughly ninety degrees.
Swing your right arm over so that you can pull your left sleeve back. As it does it
will pass over your palm up left hand where it will drop the gimmick onto your
outstretched palm. When the coin lands on your left palm it will land as close to the
finger palm position as possible.
As the coin drops and hits the palm you will tip your left fingers so they point
slightly in the air. This will cause the back of your left fingers to face the audience and
obscures the view of the gimmick from the audience. Roll your left hand closed and reach
over to your right sleeve and pull it up slightly.
As you roll your left hand closed you will obviously grip the coin in finger palm
and use the Ramsey subtlety to show your hand is empty as you grip the cuff of your
jacket sleeve. You will be able to ditch the gaff left in your left pocket as you reach into
your right pocket with your completely empty right hand.
If you would like to add the bracelet ending it will be just as you did in my coin
routine. Do the false pass with the coins and retrieve the chain as you ditch the real coins.
This will be the bracelet along with the coins drop them into the left hand and jingle them
around. All that is left to do is produce the combined bracelet to finish.

Coins Through Or To Pocket

This routine was designed for the walk around performance. It is basically a coins
to pocket. I made this to be an extension of the coin through pocket effect. It uses four
silver dollars none of which are gaffed in any way. This is how most of my coin work is
done. Begin with the coins in your right pants pocket.
The first coin is going to travel through the cloth on your pants. This is a very old
idea that I took right out of Bobo’s coin Magic. Remove the four coins from your pocket
and hold them in your right hand. You will perform the sequence from this manuscript
known as “Getting One Ahead”. This will leave you with one coin in your right hand
that is unknown to your spectator.
Reach into your right pocket and turn it out so the audience can see that the
pocket is empty. Two actions will happen at about the same time; your left hand will
push one of the coins to your fingertips. Your focus will change to look at this coin as
your right hand pushes the pocket back in and leave the coin behind.
Take the coin in the left hand with your right. Place the visible coin over the
hidden coin in your pocket and roll the loose material up over both coins. When the coin
is out of sight your right hand will steal the coin it placed there back. The coin will still
be seen behind the cloth due to the hidden coin in the pocket.
 The left hand will pull the cloth down showing the coin has vanished. You then
say “it did not vanish; it passed through the material….” Squeeze the material around
the coin showing its outline in the material.
Reach into your pocket to produce the coin but in reality you will produce the
coin in your right hand. Place the coin in your right hand back into your pocket but be
careful not to let the coins strike each other.
When you place the coin back in the pocket you will push another coin up to the
left fingertips. This coin uses a vanish which allows you to show a coin and ditch a coin
at the same time. The coin will be held between your fingers and thumb by your left hand
slightly palm up. The grip will just as I have taught previously in this manuscript where it
is held to the side of your index finger and thumb.
The right hand will come over and grip the coin lightly and pull to the right. The
left fingers will act as a pivot as you pull the coins to the right. It will then travel down
behind the fingers of the left hand. The right hand continues to move away as if contained
the coin.
The left hand will now open and show that it has only two coins in it as it should.
The right hand will make a slight tossing motion to the pocket and open to show the coin
has vanished.
Pick up the two coins on the left palm and perform Clink Pass Replacement.
Reach into your right pocket and remove the two coins inside. During this you will drop
the coin concealed in your right hand and remove the two which are there already; this is
done to eliminate fumbling as we discussed earlier.
Drop the pair of coins back into your pocket with the third hidden coin. Your right
hand will reach over to the left fist and remove the coin from the left hand through the
hole at the thumb and index finger. This last coin will be vanished using the One Handed
Revolution Vanish.
When you do the tossing motion and show the coin as gone you point to the left
hand and show the coin has completely disappeared by opening the hand. Bring your
hands together and grasp each other with your right hand above the left just for a moment
as you say” That is the last two, at once…” What really happens as you bring the hand
together you drop the coin into left hand. This is not a move you just let gravity do its
thing.
You reach into your right pocket with your obviously empty hand and pull out the
coins in your closed right hand. The right hand rises above the left and drops the three
coins onto the left palm. When the coins hit you flatten the hand out. The spectator will
see four coins and assume they all came from the right hand.
Do not underestimate the power of the last coin and how it travels. You have
made the other coins travel in such impossible ways. It will not cross their mind that the
last could not go as well. This routine makes a good amount of sense when performed
under the pretense of using this as a magical way you put your coins away at the end of
your show.
I start off in the description with the coins in your right pocket but they do not
need to start there. You could do a great coin routine and then place the coins in your
right pocket. You then think better of it and bring them back out as you say “You know as
a magician just tossing the coins in my pocket is not very magical…” So let me show you
how I put the coins away with magic….” Then go through the routine as described
 Coins and a Napkin
This routine will be very similar to the “Coins through or to the pocket”. The
moves in this manuscript are the moves that I use to accomplish my magic. This will
mean that I use them as a basis for all of my routines in this book. This does not mean I
do not use others but for the most part I will use what is in these pages.

You can begin this routine with the coins out already or you can produce them. In
either event you will require your four coins and a paper napkin. Begin by showing the
four coins on the palm of your right hand. You will use the movements from the text
called “Getting one ahead” (which is explained later in this manuscript). The only
thing that will really change is the use of the napkin.
Before you begin the sleight you will lay the napkin over your left palm. Curl
your left finger slightly so you obscure the coins from the spectators view. When you
place what is supposed to be the last coin you close your left hand around the four (?)
coins. Continue squeezing the napkin to wad the paper around the coins and drop them
into your spectators open hand.
Coin Through The hand; when the spectator holds out their hand set the coin and
paper bundle on their palm. At the same time you put the loose coin under the back of
their hand. You must time this so that the napkin hits their palm as the loose coin is
pressed up to the back of their hand.
It will help if the packet is set down harder than the coin is pushed up. It will
almost be as if you are pushing their hand onto the coin even though the actions take
place simultaneously.
Place your empty hand under the back of their hand and slowly let the grip on the
coin go. The coin will fall from the back of their and give the impression of the coin
going through their hand. Ask them to hold out their other hand and drop the coin onto it.
This will keep both hands busy throughout the routine. If you feel a bit awkward at first
you can shake their hand for a moment as you release the coin slowly.
Pick up the package from their hand and shake the coins out onto their palm. So
that they can see there are only three inside. The next coin vanish will use the Midair
Vanishing Coin of which you will find the full explanation for this move later in this
manuscript.
This will leave the impression that the three coins were dropped into the napkin
and the hand closed around them. Ball up the napkin around the three (?) coins and
replace it on the spectator’s palm. Use the replacement as misdirection for palming the
coin in your right hand.
Place your right hand over the coin on the spectator’s hand. Place your empty
hand over the bundled up paper. Concentrate for a moment and allow the coin to fall
from classic palm. It will fall onto the first with a clink to announce its own appearance
on the spectators open palm.
Pick up the bundle and shake it out to show there are only two coins in it. Wrap
the coins up again and perform the “Clink Pass Replacement”. This will allow you to
retain one of the coins in your right hand as you apparently place them into the napkin.
Place the bundle which your spectator believes has two coins but really only contains one
onto their palm and produce the coin that was just stolen moments ago. Generally I will
explain that it will travel to their hand but then I realize it traveled to my elbow or knee as
if it was not supposed to do that.
Drop it onto your first two coins which traveled which reside on the spectator’s
palm. The last coin is going to break the rule of the first three coins. The reason I change
the outcome of the effect is to keep the spectator guessing. They have seen three coins
travel from the napkin so logic dictates that I will make the fourth do the same. I do just
the opposite by performing an all together different effect.
Pick up the napkin and shake out the last coin during this you will place a small
rip in the napkin. When you drop the coin onto their empty hand you straighten out the
napkin so that it can be ripped roughly from corner to corner. After the coin is dropped
and the napkin straightened you will take the napkin into you right hand so it between the
index finger and thumb.
You can see the grip on the napkin in the picture below. Though the photo shows
just the corner being ripped you will actually tear the napkin in half about the center.

The middle and ring finger will curl around the napkin as you drop your hand to your
side. These two fingers and the pinky will hold the napkin so the thumb and index finger
can tear the napkin in half. The napkin will remain in this position and appear to be a
whole napkin.
Your right hand will come up as you begin to ball up the napkin. Practice rolling
the balls. They must stay in two separate balls in your right hand. Roll one of the balls up
between your right index finger and thumb to display its balled up condition.
The other half will be held hidden in your right hand. There really is nothing to
teach here you will find that if you try this a few times you will be able to keep them
separated during the rolling action.
One tip; do not roll the balls very tightly they should be both loose balls that
should look big enough to be the whole napkin balled up. Roll one of the balls up to
you’re a position between your index finger and thumb while still concealing the other in
your finger palm position. Keep the back of your hand to your spectators to keep the
extra ball out of sight.
Set the napkin piece at your fingertips on your spectator’s outstretched palm for a
moment and display the coin in your right hand you apparently toss the coin into your left
hand but that is not what happens in fact you will secretly toss the napkin hidden there.
Basically you are just switching the coin for the ball of paper as you toss.
When the ball hits your left hand you close around it. It should look as if you
tossed a coin into your left hand. Pick up the napkin on the spectators hand with your
right hand being careful not to expose the coin in finger palm. It is held in a grip similar
to that which we have used throughout this manuscript.
Hold your hand over the spectators hand so they can see the ball of paper. You
begin to turn your right hand palm down over their outstretched palm. Pull the napkin
into your right hand with your thumb as it begins to roll over at the same time allow the
finger palmed coin to drop onto the three coins on their palm.
A split second after the coin hits their hand you open your left hand to show the
paper ball has jumped to your other hand. Your right hand immediately comes to the ball
of paper in your left hand and takes it. The two balls are smashed together and rolled to
the left hand fingertips. Drop the napkin into your right pocket and the coins into your
left to end.
The second ending: I do not always use this second ending but I will let you see it.
I have explained it to some degree elsewhere in this manuscript. You will use the
“Multiplicity Vanish” described elsewhere in this manuscript.
Before we go on you will take care to place an extra balled up napkin in your
right hand pocket. When you complete the sequence above and place the paper ball into
your pocket you can switch the ball out.
Open the napkin up once again and lay it on your left hand. Perform the
mechanics of the “Multiplicity Vanish”. This will leave you with four coins finger-
palmed in your right hand and a spectator who believes the coins are in the left. When the
last coin is placed (?) into the napkin, close your hands and crumple up the napkin. This
time you do it slowly so it looks as if you are doing it carefully.
This will help cover the fact that the coins do not make any noise as you ball up
the paper. Place your hand into your right pocket and turn it out showing it is empty.
When you push the pocket back in carefully leave the coins behind. Blow on the napkin
and drop it into your spectator’s hand to show the coins are gone. Perform your favorite
vanish to make the napkin disappear to end the routine.
If you are doing this at a table in a restaurant you could try this ending as well.
After the coins are in finger palm and the ball is found empty. You can perform a “balls
over the head” type thing but instead of over their head it is the shoulder. The ball is
dropped behind them in the booth as you toss the coins into your hand. This will appear
to be the napkin transforming into the coins as you toss them into your hand.
 Sharpie Through Coin
This next bit of coin magic does require a gaffed coin. The coin is called a
“Karate Coin”, it is sold at most magic dealers and is very moderately priced. You will
find that every one of them is a bit different. The opening that is created to allow your
finger through will vary a bit in size.
So when you go to purchase the coin take a sharpie brand marker with you. The
marker should be able to be placed into the Karate Coin about half way up the marker.
When the coin is in this position it should stay there by itself. This should be a snug fit
but not so tight it will not come off again. The ideal goal is to have the coin stay on the
pen when it is in your pocket during your presentation.
Drop the pen with the Karate coin on it into your pocket along with a matching
half dollar. When you are ready to present the trick you will bring out the coin and hand
it to someone to examine. Ask your spectator if they have ever seen a magician push a
cigarette or a pen through a coin.
Hold the coin in your left hand in what is called “Spellbound” position. You will
display the coin here as you retrieve the marker with the Karate coin on it. Explain that
you will push the sharpie through your coin. As you display the Sharpie cover the coin
that is on it. Put the end of the marker to the coin and begin to push it against the coin.
Let go of your grip on the coin in the left hand and allow it to fall into finger-
palm. Continue to push the sharpie forward until the Karate Coin takes the position that
was once held by the full coin. Let go of the coin and the marker with your right hand.
The real coin will be concealed from view in Ramsey subtlety position; you can tilt your
hand back slightly to help conceal the coin a bit more if need be.
The right hand will take the marker from your left hand and show the coin from
all sides. You will show the left hand as empty using a simple transfer to your right hand.
Your left hand relaxes for the moment; it is turned palm down with the coin in finger tip
rest position.
You display the marker with your open right palm toward your spectator. It will
now swing down to point at the left hand. At the same time your left hand will quickly
turn palm up and flatten out at the same time. The coin in your left hand will be propelled
upward toward your right hand where it is caught.
This will be used during the routine to show there is no extra coin. You do not
draw attention to this at all as it will be seen all by itself. It should simply be you taking
the marker and pointing at the hand as the coin is shot to the other hand. Do not make a
move out of it just use it to be ahead of the group you are performing for.
As soon as you point to the left hand your fingers pull the coin from the marker so
it can be examined if you so choose. The Karate coin is taken in the Spellbound position
in your left hand so the points of the coin are in toward your palm. If you own this gaff
you know what I mean by “the points of the coin”.
The right hand will take the marker and reposition it for the following move. It is
taken into the hand like it was a knife you were going to stab the coin with it. This will
position it so the majority of the pen is coming out of the bottom of your hand.
Remember the real coin is in a finger palm position in your right hand still.
The right hand will approach the left hand as it does the hand lets go of the
marker. It is retained like it is in a thumb palm position just under the line where the pen
and cap meet. This will allow the end of the marker to point at the coin as it travels
toward it.
The end of the marker will go into the Karate coin far enough for it to get stuck on
the barrel of the pen. You will note that your right hand will still be an inch or so from
the Karate coin when this happens.
Place the real coin hidden in your right finger palm into spellbound position. This
move should look as if you are simply passing your fingers over the coin. When your
hand pulls back all the way the coin will be left on the fingers totally restored. The right
hand closes loosely around the pen and the gaff. You should perform this restoration of
the coin is done on the offbeat.
You will note that if you place the pen into the Karate coin and perform a
Spellbound change you will have to release the karate coin and due to the position of the
pen it is naturally carried away as you right hand approaches to place the real coin in its
place. In the end this is just a Spellbound type change but instead of the coin being stolen
in your right hand the marker does it for you.

In the event you would like to show everything at the end all you need to do is
hand both the pen and coin to a spectator. When the pen is taken you hold the coin and
give it a slight tug as it is withdrawn from your hand. This will leave the Gaffed coin in
your right hand. While they are examining the props go to your pocket for your next trick
and leave the gimmick behind.
This routine is a good tongue in cheek type of effect. I perform it in and off beat
timing as normally the routines have a flow to them; I perform all the action opposite of
the flow. I also have used the idea of setting the effect up to be very magical. By saying
things like “Have you ever seen a magician make a pen or cigarette magically melt
through a solid coin…”
This gives the idea that it will be smooth and graceful. Then when you put the pen
to the coin and begin to push it is anything but graceful. This is when you begin to push
and push but the pen will not go through. So you are left with no other course of action
but to jamb the pen through. That is when you draw the pen back and perform the
penetration outlined above.
This routine was not designed to be a show stopper. It was used as a bit of byplay
during a stronger routine using the pen and the coins. I suppose with the right
presentation it could be a center piece of your show. I choose to keep it as a throw away.
 Walk around Twilight
This is simply my handling for an effect called Twilight by one of the greats of
close up magic Paul Harris. I wanted to perform the effect in my hand so it could be done
without a table. I use it simply as a coin production and rarely do all of the phases of the
routine. I do use a small bit of business at the beginning. I have also been known to do
the flip over phase where the mirror flips the coin over in relation to its reflection. I do
not use it to the extent that Paul does.
You will need to be able to classic palm four coins in your right hand and drop
them singly. This is the starting point of the routine. You will need a mirror that is the
size of a playing card. This will not be hard to come across. You can call a glass and
mirror company and have then cut a piece of plexi-glass mirror to the exact size of a
playing card.
The one I use I took the time to glue felt to so that its back was completely
covered. You will need to experiment with which type of glues to use as you do not want
to destroy the backing of the mirror and ruin the reflective quality. With mine I covered it
and glued it to the edge of the mirror. I then trimmed away the excess felt and melted the
edges of the felt to give it a nice clean look. This resulted in having not only the back
covered but all the edges as well.
You will now explain that you are going to show how a magician makes a coin
vanish. You reach into your pocket and remove a coin; this is really going to be the first
coin from your right classic palm. You produce from your palm as you would any other
time but instead of in the open you do so in your pocket.
Place the coin onto your left hand so it is on your index and middle finger; it will
lie where the middle knuckle is. Place the mirror on its edge so it runs from the crotch of
your middle and ring finger to the tips of your fingers. More than likely it will go past
your fingers and hang off the end of your hand.
If you look at the mirror it will reflect you index and middle finger and appear to
be the rest of your fingers. “Watch the coin right there…” point to the reflection of the
coin in the mirror. Slowly slide the mirror off of your hand toward the tips of your
fingers. “You will see right before your eyes that coin disappears into nothing…” It will
of course dawn on everyone that you are pulling their leg and it was the reflection that
disappeared.
Hold the two short edges of the mirror between your thumb and middle finger
from above. Place the mirror in its former position at the same time drop a second coin
behind the mirror. Due to the placing of your right hand the coin will drop behind the
mirror onto your left hand in a position similar to the one your audience is aware of.
If the coin falls and is oriented the same as the coin in the front go on with the
next phase. However if the opposite side is showing you will flip the front coin over to
match the coin behind the mirror. If you do need to do so you simply drop your left
thumb onto the corner of the mirror to hold it in its upright positions as you release it with
your right hand to make any adjustments.
Slide the mirror as you did before and the coins reflection will become reality to
the spectator. Use the corner of your mirror to push the rear coin up next to the first coin.
Place the mirror as it was a moment ago. It will now look as if there are four coins, two
are real and two are reflection.
 You will now produce the two extra coins by doing a shuttle pass into your right
hand. When you start the shuttle pass by tossing the coins over the mirror onto your right
hand. The two visible coins will drop onto the two hidden coins which are palmed in your
right hand.
After you toss the coins into your right hand you will snap the mirror up so that
your fingers are on the face of the mirror and your thumb is on the back. This is just done
so that it makes a nice display of the mirror.
You may have to practice the timing of this shuttle pass as it is a bit different than
with just your empty hands. The timing will be evident from a trial or two in front of a
mirror.

Acme Portable Hole Card

This routine is a piece I like to use when I sit at a table. It does require a soft
surface to work on but this does not mean that it has to be a close-up pad. It will take off
in a structure similar to other effects in this manuscript but the effect on a spectator is
different. It uses a plot that has been around for many years.
Start by making a card from a thin piece of card board. On the face of it you will
draw a black circle; it should be filled with black as well. This will be your portable hole
card and it is responsible for teleporting your coins. The circle should be just a bit smaller
than a silver dollar. The card itself should be about the size of a playing card. (You could
just use a playing card with a blank face if you should choose to)
Place the four coins on your work surface along with your hole card. Use the card
to scoop up the four coins and drop them into your left hand. In all reality the bottom coin
is going to be retained by your right thumb. When the coins are dumped into your hand
the back of the card will be toward the spectator. As soon as the coins hit the palm of
your hand you close around them in a loose fist.
Push one of the coins in your left hand up so it is held between the left index
finger and thumb in a display position. The rest of the fingers will hold what is left of the
coins. Lever the card over onto your right hand so your fingers will be holding the coin
on the face of the card. The coin under the card of course is not known to the spectators at
this point.
Lift the card up to flash its face while your right fingers pull the coin to the right.
The fingers are actually screening this from your spectators view(If you do not know this
move you can find it in more detail in Bobo’s coin magic) Turn your hand back down
and push the coin back under the card so it is once again completely concealed.
You are going to vanish the coin you are displaying in your left hand using my
Identity Vanish concept. Toss the coin up into the air roughly eight inches and catch it
with your left hand. Lower your left hand to show the coin is now gone. “The coin
disappears from here and flies to the Black Hole….”Begin to slightly shake the card and
release your grip on the coin letting it fall to the table. “It is a snug fit…”
 Turn the card face up and scoop up the coin that just fell from it. You are going to
do a “Han Ping Chien” using the coin on the card. Turn your left hand over and
maneuver one of the three coins into a clip between your fingers and heal of your hand in
preparation to be dropped in a moment.
The right hand will turn over and clip the coin to the card. The left hand will let
its grip on the coin go so it falls to the table. This will all take place in line of the card as
it is turned over. It should look as if you turned your card over and the coin fell to the
table. You will be left with a coin secretly under the card, two coins in your left hand, and
one on the table.
The spectator does believe you have three in your left hand. Push one of the coins
up so it is between your index finger and thumb to display the next coin that will travel.
Set the card down on the table over the first coin. Set it down carefully so the two coins
do not “Talk”. You will now vanish the next coin in a very convincing manner.
The right hand is going to come over to the left hand and take the coin. In reality
what will happen is as follows: Your hand will come over the top of the coin and grasp it
so the thumb is on the back of the coin; your fingers will be on the front. The left edge of
the coin will be right at the point where your thumb and fingers meet.
When you pull the coin to the right it will pivot down into your hand using the left
middle finger as a pivot point. The right hand moves away as if it has the coin inside.
Your left hand sets the coins on the table where it will be noticed there is only two. You
can show your left hand totally empty at this point and any thought that coin is not in
your right will fade from the spectators mind.
Make a toss motion to the card with the right hand; pick up the card and show it
has two coins under it. You are once again going to do the ‘Han Pin Chien “with the
coins. When you are finished you will have one coin in your left hand (Spectator will
believe you have two in the left hand.) The card will have one coin hidden under it.
Set the card over the two coins loading the third. Reach into your left hand
through the hole created by your thumb and remove the coin with your right hand.
Perform the “One handed Revolution Vanish” to vanish the coin in your right hand. You
are then going to open your left hand and show that coin has also vanished during the
third coins disappearance.
As the left hand opens and the spectator comprehends the empty hand you will
reach down to the card on the table with your right hand. At the same time you open your
left hand and show it as being empty you slide the card forward and release the last coin.
It will fall next to the coins on the table and look as if it were under the card as well.
My best advice is to remember to look where you want the spectator to look. If
you want the spectator to look at the coins in your hand then you need to watch the coins
like a hawk. Misdirection is the key to making the last load believable. It is not hard but
timing is a very big factor. The moves are set up to happen in a 1-2-3 tempo. There are no
breaks in the tempo it should flow from one move to the next
One thing I would like to add here is that the appearance of the two coins at once
is very startling and makes a great climax to the trick. The disappearance of the third and
fourth coin are very startling as well as it is not seen coming.
 Multiplicity Vanish
This little sequence will vanish a group of coins, not one at a time but, all at once.
The silver dollars are laying on the table in a row from left to right. Pick up the coin to
your right and hold it in your right hand as if you were going to perform my shuttle pass
from this manuscript.
Extend your left hand palm up and lay the right hand onto it so the edge of your
right hand is on your left fingertips. The thumb will pull the coin into your hand where it
will be left in finger palm position; the left hand closes as if it were holding the coin. In
performance you will not just lay the hand on its edge then pull the coin into finger palm
and move the hands apart. In reality it is all one motion all moves happening at a steady
speed.
All of these actions take place almost at the same time. That is to say you pick up
the coin and begin pulling it into the hand as it travels to the other hand and closes. The
left hand which is supposed to have a coin in it will close in a loose fist. It appears that
you pick up the second, third, and fourth coin and perform the same set of actions. There
is however a slight difference as follows:
Pick up the second coin and hold it at the tips of the fingers as you did the first
coin. Bring the back of the right hand down onto the palm of your left hand and release
the coin. At the same time the left will move upward and open to meet the right hand.
The back of your right hand will screen the left and hide the fact that there are no coins
contained in it.
The coin at your finger tips will fall onto the coin in your right finger-palm. When
the coins hit, they will click together as it does you will retain them both in finger palm.
At the exact time the coin makes this click you will drop the left hand slightly and close it
into a loose fist. The third and fourth coin is handled in this same manner. When the last
coin is dropped you will now have four coins finger-palmed in your right hand. The
audience should believe the coins are in your left hand.
I would like to touch on the body language and misdirection that is used to sell
this. When using this as a way to vanish the coins you are using in your favorite routine
do not say “I will place these coins into my left hand and make them disappear…” To
create a great illusion, say nothing about the coins.
Pick up the coins and place them into your left hand and change the subject for a
moment. Remove the focus from the coins this will leave them believing the trick is over.
Then a moment later you will open this hand and “wham” they are gone.
The spectator will have forgotten the whole transfer of coins. Remember the only
way the group knows what is going to happen is if you tell them, so don’t. When picking
up the coins the only time you will look at them is when you first pick them up. As soon
as you have the coin at the tip of your finger look back at the audience as you speak to
them. You want to create the illusion that the coin is no longer of any importance and all
you are doing is cleaning up.
 Finger Tip Production
You will now learn the production of four coins. I use this to produce the coins
one at a time for a coin routine. It uses a slightly modified version of the thumb palm.
The nice thing about this palm is it gives your hand a more relaxed look. It also keeps the
thumb from being right along side of the hand as per the normal thumb-palm. Most
people who follow along with this method will find it easier than producing them from
classic-palm.
Place the coins in a stack and place them into your right hand thumb-palm. You
will palm them so the coins are on their edge as opposed to their faces.

Fig. #1

The coins will be gripped at the top half of the coin this is seen figure #1. You will notice
the coin mainly lies below the thumb and is just clipped at the top.
Stand before your audience and do some adjusting of your sleeves. This will be
the excuse for the get ready as it were. Your right hand reaches over to tug on your coat
sleeve (if you are wearing a shirt do not tug on your coat.) This is simply pulling the
sleeve up for the miracle you will try to astound them with.
Your left hand will now do the same with your left sleeve. You use only the index
and thumb to do this. During this action your middle finger is going to separate the first
coin from the stack. This is accomplished by pulling the side closest to your thumb
toward the tip of your thumb. This is seen in figure #1 as well. This is where the coin will
be launched from in a moment.
You will notice that if you let the grip go on the first coin you can drop it and
retain the other three coins. This is the secret to producing the coin one at a time. You
will abruptly move your hand forward as you release the grip on the first coin. You then
bring your hand to a sudden stop and catch the coin at the tip of your fingers. This will
require a bit of practice and a knack. It is however not hard to accomplish.
If the coin does not fly to a spot at the tips of the finger where you want you may
have to change the direction of your hand as it moves. These slight changes effect the
direction the coins flight and thereby change the point where it will land.
After the first coin is produced you will curl the middle finger inward and
separate the next coin from the stack as you place the first coin into your left hand. You
will produce this coin as you did the first. You will now produce the rest as you did the
first coin to end.
This production is a bit easier than producing the coins from a classic palm
position. It is a bit touchier but the angles are easy to control. First; the hand is held
below eye level, second; the hand is tipped in toward your body more. The back of the
fingers will hide the coins when the hand is moving forward.
The last tip I will offer here is the tempo at which the coins are produced. They
are produced in rapid succession this should not be mistaken for rushed. The motion to
bring the coin back and drop it into your left hand begins the journey forward to produce
the next coin. It is a back and then forward motion on the forward a coin appears and the
back it is dropped into your left hand.
The only detail I left out in the above description is that the coins are produced
with the hand palm downward more or less. It should look as if you are reaching
downward and plucking a coin from space. After you catch the coin you can rotate your
hand upward at the wrist to display the coin for a moment.

Getting One Ahead

You will begin by holding the four coins in your right hand finger palm position.
They are not palmed they are just cupped there so they do not fall on the floor. Thumb
one of the coins up to the side of the index finger, this is the display used in most of my
sleights. The back of your right hand is toward the audience and not toward the floor.
You can see the coin in figure #1 the other coins are held by the curled fingers.
Toss the first coin onto the outstretched left hand so it lands at the point where the fingers
meet your palm. Thumb a second coin up and do the same toss but this coin will land on
the first coin. The third is tossed as well but it will not land on the other coins.

Fig. #1

It will land on the tip of the middle and ring finger; this to can be seen in figure
#2. The last coin will be pushed up to the same position as the rest but it will not be
tossed. You will do a series of moves to make it look as if it is tossed.
 Fig. #2

The right hand will turn palm down with a slight jerk motion. At the same time
your right thumb will pull the coin behind your right fingers. Your left hand will close
with as if you have just caught the coin. When the left hand snaps closed (causing the
coin to fly) the coin on the tips of the fingers will strike the coins at the base of its
fingers.
It will hit the coins lying there and it will sound as if you dropped the last coin
into your hand. The sound coupled with the retention look of the coin makes this a very
disarming false pass. You now have one coin in your right hand that no one is aware of at
this point.
Your right hand will be between your left hand and your audience as it rolls over.
You will see in a mirror that the coin will look as if it dropped as your hand eclipses the
view of the coin. Once your left closes you will draw your right hand back and allow
your thumb to relax.

The Identity Vanish

This is more of a concept than a vanish. In magic generally speaking making a
coin vanish requires that it is substituted for another in its place to make it reappear. This
is the basis of the “One Ahead’ principle especially when talking about coins.
One of the best examples we can use is a basic coins across effect using four coins
of which your audience is unaware of one. You would show three coins in one hand and
say that you will cause one of the coins to travel to the opposite hand.
Closing your hand around the coins and saying your magic words causes the first
coin to travel across but this coin which was held in classic palm is a different coin but
your audience believes it is one of the first three they saw a moment ago.
My “Identity” concept uses a subtlety to reinforce to a spectator that the coin
which disappears is the coin that reappears. It also accomplishes another important thing;
it establishes that the coin has not vanished before it is supposed to.
In other words when you toss four coins into your left hand and retain one you are
asking for the spectator to take the location of the coins in good faith. This is a time
tested method of getting one ahead. The Identity Vanish adds one little subtlety to this
idea to show the coin is still there even though the coin is not.
 This is not a method to show the four coins in your hand when there are not. It
refocuses the spectator’s attention to another point. By taking their mind off of the fact
that you tossed four coins into your hand and when you opened it one was missing.
You refocus this attention to a single coin which is still in sight. This will take the
heat away from the coin that is missing because they still see the coin that is going to
disappear. I will describe this simple vanish while I describe why it works at the same
time.
The vanish starts out as any other would; you toss the coins into your left hand but
retain one of the coins. This could be as simple as classic palming one before you toss
them or you could use one of the techniques from this manuscript as well.
In any event toss the coins from your right hand into your left retaining one in
your right hand classic palm. When the coins hit close in a loose fist around them. Push
one of the coins up so it is displayed at the tips of your index finger and thumb. Your
other three fingers are curled around the coins still in your palm. Display the coin as you
say “I will make this coin vanish from my left hand and reappear here….”
The first step in this vanish is different to others of its type. If you toss the coins
to your left hand and close around them you would more than likely say “I will make one
of the coins vanish and reappear here….” In essence you are saying anyone of the coins
is going to go but you do not know which it will be. When you open your hand they see it
is gone. The logical conclusion is obviously going to be that it was never there to begin
with.
That is where the Identity Vanish is different. The coin you are displaying is the
coin you will tell them you are going to make disappear. I know “what is the
difference?” there is still a coin gone. That is entirely true but the coin is visually seen in
the left hand and that is what the spectator will remember. It will place a coins presence
in one place while the load is done elsewhere.
You have to remember that a spectator will look for a sneaky move after the coin
is out of sight but by then the sneaky move is already done. Not only that but you are
taking focus off of the coins in your palm and focusing the spectator solely on the one
coin you are displaying. They will never consider that a coin was not dropped into your
hand because they are focused on the coin in front of them.
When this coin vanishes and only three are in the hand they will not be able to
reconstruct exactly what happened. At this point you have a coin displayed at the tips of
your left fingers. Toss the coin into the air about eight to twelve inches and catch it with
your open left hand. Lower your open hand to the table so the coins slide off your
fingertips onto it; there of course will only be three coins. The spectator will see the coin
fall into your hand as well as hear it but when the hand drops down onto the table it is
gone.
You do not have to affect the vanish like this; you could toss it up and catch it
with a closed hand then open your hand later, You could drop the coins onto a spectators
palm after you toss the coin up and catch it, or You could come up with a thousand other
ways to do it too.
My goal here is to simply show you how to give a coin its own identity for a
vanish. There by establishing that it is in the hand before it is gone. This is merely a way
to make a vanish more of an event in your spectators mind.
 Retention of Coinage
The following article will explain the main coin passes that I use. They will begin
from the same location in the hand as most all other moves in this manuscript. The first is
going to take place on the outstretched left hand.

Hold the coin in your right hand so the coin is clipped to the side of the index
finger by your thumb. Hold your left hand out so it is wide open and palm up but keep
your fingers together for the most part. Drop your right hand onto the palm of your left so
the pinky comes down onto the crease where your right fingers meet your palm.
When your hands hit a couple of thing will happen simultaneously. You curl the
fingers of your left hand around the back of your right fingers as the coin is pulled behind
the right fingers. You will notice the coin almost tries to do this motion without any effort
from you because the inertia that the coin has at the point of impact is moving in that
direction.
Do not do your best violently aggressive karate chop on your palm. The move is
made so it looks as if the coin is still traveling after your right hand has stopped on the
left palm. You should endeavor to pull the coin behind the fingers at the same speed as
the hand travels downward.
The left hand will now curl up around your right hand and move away as if it has
the coin. Wait before you do any adjusting to the coin for the moment; leave it be! Draw
your right hand away with the coin now in finger palm and position it just above your
belt line in a relaxed position. Wait for a few moments and show the coin as gone from
your left hand.
One small finesse that I add to this is a rocking back and forth motion that causes
the coin to have more motion to it. To do so bring your hands together as you did
moments ago. As you do you are going to have your right hand tilted outward ever so
slightly.
When you place your right hand onto your left hand palm you tilt inward toward
the left palm as you pull the coin into your right hand using your thumb as you did just
moments ago as well. It should be a very forward and back “wave” of your right hand to
make the coin vanish.
Like most vanishes and passes of this sort you can vary their appearance just a bit
by changing the position of your left hand. Above you were instructed to take them and
place them into a palm down left hand. You can however take them with your left hand
when it is palm down as well. This is going to take the look of almost a tossing motion
upward into your waiting left hand.
 Hold the coin in the right hand it is clipped to the side of your index finger by
your thumb; This grip is the same grip used in most of the coin work in this manuscript.
Your right hand should be a little above waste level at the start of this pass. Make a palm
up gesture with your left hand as you address your spectator. Your left thumb will point
slightly upward and to your left.
Begin to turn your left hand palm down and at the same time your right comes up
with the coin. The two hands meet and the left acts as if it is taking the coin. The main
reason you have your thumb pointing outward is to make the motion of the thumb
grasping the coin more obvious. This is simply making this a much larger and
exaggerated motion.
Your left thumb will swing downward behind the right hand and your fingers will
go in front as if to grasp the coin from your right hand. Your right hand will swing
upward as if to almost toss the coin to it. As your left fingers close and screen the coin
from view you pull the coin into your finger pam position.
As soon as the coin is seated in finger palm in your right hand you will constrict
to hold and drop your hand at the wrist into a relaxed position. Slowly drop your hand
down to your beltline and pause this hand here for the moment.
Your left will draw away as if it were holding the coin behind its fingers. Turn
your left hand over palm up and close it into a loose fist. Remember you are watching
your left hand because it has (?) the coin and this is where you want the spectator to
watch.
It is a simple thing now to make the coin vanish by crumpling your fingers and
opening them. I will often move the coin to a finger palm position and then bring the
hand back into a Ramsey subtlety display. This display shows the hand empty when it
really has a coin hidden in finger palm.
By simply pointing at the hand with the coin in Ramsey subtlety position as you
say “The coin will vanish…” You are showing the hand that attention will automatically
go to being empty before the coin vanishes from the right hand. This will convince the
spectator the coin is really not in your hands just hidden out of sight.
Another variation of this vanish looks similar to the first example. You will lay
the coin onto the palm as before but this time you will roll the hand back toward yourself.
During this roll you will pull the coin behind your right fingers. When the coin is out of
sight you will close your left hand and carry the coin (?) away from your right hand. This
little piece looks much like the coin falling into your hand and your hand catching it.
 MidAir Coin Vanish
This move is very visual but it requires a bit of knowledge of misdirection to pull
it off. Hold the coins in your right hand so they are in a fan. The coins are gripped by the
thumb, middle, and index fingers. The ring finger and pinky are curled into the hand
(Fig.#1) in preparation for the next series of moves.

Fig. #1

Hold the coins out over your outstretched left hand. You will now drop the coins
into your palm but as they drop you extend your ring finger and pinky. This will allow
you to clip the bottom coin as they begin to fall. The right fingers will then curl into the
palm carrying the clipped coin behind the hand. When the coins hit the left palm it closes
around them in a loose fist.

There are a few wrinkles I would like to touch on. When you begin this little bit
you must start with your hands away from each other. The clipping motion will begin as
you start to move them together for the drop action. The clip will be complete as the
coins begin to fall and your fingers will be curled in as the coins hit your hand.
This is the point where your guilty conscience will get you. Remember; to the
spectator nothing has happened at this point, you have simply dropped the coins into the
other hand. You may now use the coin any way you see fit. The photo shows the action
as if you were to drop the coins to the table, but it can be done onto your palm as well.
This move can be used as a fairly good shuttle pass as well. Place a coin in your
left hand so it is held in finger palm. Hold three coins at your right finger tips. Do the clip
and drop motions as described above. This time as the coins hit the left hand you will
open it out flat. This will expose the hidden coin as the other two hit it. It looks exactly as
if you dropped the three coins onto your left palm. Once again you are one ahead at this
point.
Another use for this is to vanish the coins in a spectators own hand. Have your
spectator hold their cupped hands out with the instruction to close them around the coins
as you drop them.
Do the drop and clip and allow the coins to fall into the spectator’s hand. They
should close their hand around the coins. They will or should not be aware of the missing
coin. All that is left is to show the coin has jumped from there hand to wherever you see
fit.
This same thing can be done onto a table to affect a coin passing through the
table. Drop the coins onto the table from eight or so inches above it. When the coins hit it
will be seen that the coin has vanished. If you use this you should have a plan as to how
to be ahead of the spectator when they see the missing coin.
This could be as simple as bringing your right hand back to the edge of the table
and lapping the coin. Should you be a performer who uses a Topit that would be great
place to go with the coin as well. The key is to routine this vanish during your show to be
ahead of the audience.
One last thing I will share on this subject is a way to ditch the coin as you vanish
it. Ask a spectator to hold out their hands in a cupped fashion in front of you for the
following sequence. Hold your hands out in front of theirs explaining you will use their
hands in just a moment.
Toss the coins onto your left palm and perform the move so you have a coin
clipped in your right hand. Close around the coins as they land on your palm and caution
them to watch closely. Slowly open your hand so they can see there is now a coin missing
from the group.
Use your index finger of your right hand to spread the coins just a bit and roll
them off into your spectator’s cupped hand as you do finger palm one of these coins so it
does not fall from this hand. At the same time be sure right hand is where you can release
its coin in a Han Pien Chein style move. This will leave one coin in your left hand finger
palm position.
The move itself will look as if you dropped the coins onto your palm where coin
is seen gone and you dropped them into the spectator’s hand. You could just drop the
coins directly into the spectator’s cupped hand and use your left hand as a Servante.
After you drop the coins onto your spectators hand you bring your right hand
back and drop the coin onto your left hand. Just see that the right hand is slightly curled
so the coin cannot be seen by the spectators.
 Multiple Clink Vanish Variation
This is just a slight change to a clink vanish that has seen print before. The coins
will be picked up with your right hand in a spellbound position. The hand turns palm up
and drops the coins into your palm. The hand will immediately turn over and dump the
coins into your left hand.
As your left hand tips up into your left hand, which is palm upward and stretched
out to catch the coins, your pinky will curl inward behind your left fingers as they start
curl upward over the back of your right hand. The coins will come to a stop when they hit
the pinky and will pile up here for the moment.
Curl your right fingers in just enough that you can grip this stack of coins gently
as you continue to close your left hand around what your audience should believe is the
stack of coins. Relax your right hand and drop it to your beltline area and keep it relaxed.
It should go without saying at this point you follow the left hand with your eyes after the
transfer.
When you pick the coins up you do so by picking up the whole stack. Your right
hand does not turn palm up until the coins are next to your left hand. The hand turns palm
up to display the coins it then turns over to drop the coins. The left hand then closes
around the coins (?). The two clinks, one as they fall from the display position and the
other as they land on your right pinky, of the coins are distinct to the spectator and really
sell the illusion

Han Ping Chien Like

This is simply my own version of the move known as the Han Ping Chein. I
would not like to think that I am saying it is better or worse than any other but it is simply
how I do it. I use it because it fits what I wanted from the move. I wanted to accomplish
the move without the coin ever being outside of the hand before the move. I am not going
to say this move will be easy to do it does take some work to get used to it.
Begin with the four coins in your right hand. They will be in your loose right hand
in the finger palm position. They are not finger palmed just in the spot where you would
finger palm. Push the first coin up so it is clipped at the side of your right index finger.
Toss the coin to your left hand and catch it near the top of your hand where it is
considered high finger palm.
Adjust the position of this coin so the edge of coin will sit on the side of your ring
finger. Begin to turn this hand palm downward When your hand begins to turn over
gravity will start to let the coin fall using the side of your ring finger as a fulcrum.
The fingers will begin to curl in but you will let the ring finger and pinky curl a
bit faster. When the coin stops it will be on its edge clipped lightly between the ring and
middle finger. Your left hand will be in a loose fist with your palm downward. You will
be able to let your grip go and the coin will fall out of your hand if your knuckles are
pointing toward the floor.
 Turn your hand palm up again and toss another coin into your hand and close it
around the coin as did just a moment ago. Pick up the two coins on the table and hold
them in your right with your fingers on the face and your thumb on the back. You are
going to apparently toss the two coins in your right on the table; in reality you only throw
one.
Perform a toss to the table with the two coins in your right hand as you retain one
using Benzias Friction Steal. At the same time your left hand releases the grip on the coin
between your ring and middle finger. This coin will fall and join the one falling from
your right hand. Just as you release the coin from your left it begins to travel to the left to
move out of the way of the right hands path.
I am not going to go into how to perform a Benzias Friction steal here it is a very
common sleight and has been described in so many other places. I will say that when you
use it here you are going to be tossing the coins from right to left into the center of the
table. When you do so your left hand will be hovering above the table where you will toss
the coins.
You will need to move your left hand in a direction away from your right hand as
it moves to make its toss. Just as you release the coins (?) in your right hand you will
loosen the grip on the coin held between your ring and middle finger causing it to drop to
the table right where the single coin from your right hand will land.
All of these moves are done in a fluid motion. Out of context this move has little
or no motivation. I will try to frame it in a little more in each routine that I use it. If you
perform the Han Pin Chein then you know the timing of this move it is the same. It is
only the location from which the coin falls that differs.

Clink With The Flop

This bit of coin manipulation uses a visual retention as well as an audio
reinforcement. The move allows for the performer to get a coin ahead of the audience
during a “coins across” or the like. The move is actually a blending of many of the moves
you have read up to this point.
Hold fours coins in your right hand so they are in the finger-palm position. They
are not actually palmed they are cupped loosely. Your thumb will begin to push the first
coin up to the side of your hand so it is against the side of your index finger.
This coin is placed into left hand in the finger-palm area. Once again the coin is
not palmed but just held there. The left hand is going to curl up slightly just to screen the
coins from view. The right hand moves the second coin to the same position as the first
and sets the coin onto the first coin in the left hand. The coin is set down with a bit of
force so it will make a fairly loud clink noise.
The third coin is handled the same way but after the coin has made its clink it is lifted up
from the other two coins about a half of an inch. The left fingers will apply pressure to
the side of the coin so it will be held against the palm. This will leave the coin suspended
above the first two by a fraction of an inch.
 Perform the “Flop over Vanish” described elsewhere in this manuscript. This
will allow the spectator to see the coin drop into the hand. As the coin is dropped (?) into
the hand the left hand releases its pressure on the suspended coin. The suspended coin
will drop onto the other two coins with a loud Clink. This will sell the illusion of the coin
falling and landing into your other hand. As with all sleight of hand you should be very
mindful of the people around you.
Your left hand will simply be a receptacle for the coins. It should be held in a
relaxed condition with as little attention drawn to it as possible. This is done by holding
back closer to your body after a coin is placed into it. It will then be brought forward to
let the right hand place its coin into it. The position of your left hand should look as if it
is loosely cupped to keep the coins from falling out.
When your left hand comes back to the “resting” position near you it will turn so
your knuckles face the floor and relax at the wrist. Your hand will be in an almost palm
down position. When you need to place another coin inside it you will reach forward for
the coin to be placed into. It will then draw back once more.

Another Take On The Spider

This is basically a combination of the French drop, retention vanish, and the
spider grip idea. It is none of these moves at all it really is its own thing comprised of
them all.
The silver dollar is going to be held in your left hand by the edges. It is going to
be held so it runs parallel to your middle finger. The back of your hand will be more or
less toward the ground. The face of the coin will be toward the audience this can be seen
in the photo below.

The right hand will take the coin as if performing the normal Spider Grip vanishes except
that the coin is taken in a modified thumb palm as opposed to a classic palm. Your right
thumb is slid in under the coin and fingers above.
 Instead of it being clipped on the face and tails side it will be clipped by its edges.
The right hand now turns so the fingers are pointing toward the floor as it carries the coin
it has clipped; the left hand closes as the right moves away.
Close your right hand as it moves away, this looks as if you really dropped the
coin back in the left hand. The right will act as if it throws the coin to the floor by
opening the fingers as if to let it go. Look up at the audience and act as if you notice
someone looking at your left fist, this will not be hard, most people will at this point.
You can wait a moment and open the left hand, to the audience the coin really
vanishes at this point so use it to hold them on the line for a while. This is really a sucker
vanish but it is really the best way to perform a sucker trick. You call no attention to it
you let the audience follow themselves and then they realize they were lead down a
garden path. You do not call attention to it before or after it goes unnoticed to you
altogether.

Four Gone Coins

The following vanish of a coin came to me after seeing an idea in Bobo’s coin
magic. It used a pile of coins on a table and you seemingly picked up one of the coins and
made it vanish. In all reality you did not pick up a coin at all you simply went through the
motions of it then showed your hands empty. What follows is that vanish just handled a
bit differently, I would have to believe this idea has been done before.
Begin with four silver dollars in a small coin purse; this can be carried in a handy
pocket. When you are ready to perform you will dump the coins onto the table or into
your left hand to display them as four coins.
Perform anything that makes it look as if you are throwing the four coins into
your hand but allows you to keep one secretly in your right hand; you can use my
“Getting One Ahead” here. After this pick up the coin purse and drop it back in your
pocket and leave behind the coin hidden in your right hand as well.
You are going to have to do a few things to make this work out in your favor.
First you are going to push the coins in a stack to the fingertips in your left hand as your
right approaches the coins. The right hand will take one of the coins or so it looks.
In reality what happens is this; you feign taking a coin as your left spreads the
coins in a fan behind your right fingers. The right hand then draws away as if it has a coin
in it while you follow this hand with your eyes. All that is left is to make the coin vanish
by opening your hand and because you are clean let it be seen just don’t overdo it.
Coin number two will be done just a bit differently using a technique which seems
to be a bit gutsy but it works exceptionally well. This time it will be used to make a coin
vanish in a very clean manner. I would like to say right now that this description I am
about to give is going to be without wearing anything with sleeves in other words a short
sleeve shirt.
The right hand will approach the left where the coins are in a nice spread
condition. You act as if you are taking the top coin of the spread what really takes place
is this; your left thumb pulls the coin at the top behind the other coins. It will be partially
hidden by the coins as well as the left fingers.
 You will once again watch this hand as if the coin was in it. Your hands are going
to do two things simultaneously your right hand is going to come forward toward your
audience. The left hand is going to move back toward yourself, more specifically back
toward your right elbow.
When you are ready to make the coin in your right hand actually vanish you will
open your hand and show it gone. At this moment you are going to set the bottom coin of
the stack on your inner elbow. After the coin has vanished in your right hand you show
that you only have two in your left hand.
Perform my “Clink Pass Replacement” and seemingly place the two coins into
your left hand. After this you will have a coin secreted away in your right hand and a
single coin in your left. The audience should however believe that both are in your left
hand.
Using your right hand you will reach in through the hole that is made by your left index
finger and thumb and extract one of the coins as you say “I will do this a bit differently
this time...” take out one of the coins but indeed you do remove the only coin in the left
hand.
This time you reach in front of you with your left hand to hang the coin in the air
as the right hand places the coin at its fingertips on the inside of your left elbow. Just
after the coin is seen gone from your left hand you will bring the right into the center of
focus and show that it has only the one coin left by pushing it to the tips of your fingers.
The audience will take this as the coin that was held at the tip of your fingers moments
ago.
The fourth and last coin is going to be done using my “One Handed Revolution
Vanish”, but a couple of things are going to change. You are going to hold the right hand
slightly palm up as you act as if your index finger and thumb place the coin into space.
This will of course be the point where you separate your finger at the end of the vanish to
make the disappearance happen.
This is basically like a hanging coins effect that allows you to show the hands
empty at the end of the move. As you drop your hand down to a position about waste
high the coin clipped by your middle finger is allowed to fall into finger palm position to
complete this phase.
The reproduction of the coins at this point is going to be the conclusion of the
effect. The first coin is going to be produced by reaching up with your empty left hand.
The right will reach over and steal the coin in the left elbow and hold it at the fingertips
for the moment.
The hands are going to come together from here and the left hand will grab the
coin at the right fingertips and replace it into the right fingertips as if it held the coin there
behind the fingers. This is like a shuttle pass of sorts only you really do not have a coin in
your left hand at all.
The audience simply sees you place the coin in your right fingers and assumes it
was in the left hand to begin with. The right hand is going to display this coin here for a
moment; remember the right hand still has a coin concealed inside of it the audience is
unaware of.
The left hand is going to take the exposed coin and hold in a finger palm position
in readiness for finger palm. The right hand will now reach up and produce the coin that
is concealed inside while the left hand steals the coin in the right elbow. Both hands come
forward holding a coin at the fingertips and all looks as it should. You do have a coin
concealed in your left finger palm but the spectator is unaware of this fact.
Place the coin in the left fingertips in your right hand along with the other coin.
Reach up and grab the coin with your left hand and produce the coin that is concealed
there and place it with the other coins. You will of course be holding the three coins in
your right hand.
Perform the MidAir Coin Vanish to allow you to leave a coin secreted in your
right hand while the spectators believe you have three in your left hand. Pause for a
moment and say “oh yes there were four coins…” and produce the coin in the right hand
as you say “That is four...” Toss this coin into the left hand and close it so it cannot be
seen to have only three coins inside.
Reach into your pocket and retrieve the coin purse along with the fourth coin
behind it. Place the coin purse into your left hand for a moment and allow the coin behind
the purse to be added to the other three coins. The reason for this is just to allow your
right hand to open the clasp on the purse the right then immediately takes the purse back
and the left hand opens to show the four coins laying there on the palm. You then place
the four coins into the purse and pocket the same to finish.

The Free Flight Opener

This is the coin routine that I do as an opener in my restaurant. It is not a
simple routine but it is very clean and easy to follow. It does require the ability to classic
palm four coins and drop them one by one to the table. I believe I have used some
interesting variations of the Han Ping Chein to accomplish the production of the coins
one at a time.
The routine consist of two parts a production then a free flight type of effect. I use
it as an opener in the instructions here because a lot of people have a hard time classic
palming a group of coins quickly.
To begin you will place four coins into a right hand classic palm. Remove the two
jokers from a deck and place them into your left pants pocket. When ready to perform
remove the two jokers from your pocket and display them to the audience in the
following manner.
You will hold the two cards palm down by their long edge in the right hand.
Remove one of the jokers with your left hand and show it front and back about eye level.
Return the card to your right hand and remove the other but this time the right hand drops
to the table at the same time.
When the left hand is displaying the second joker you will load the first joker as
follows: You set one of the coins from classic palm onto your close up pad, and then slide
the card back over the coin. When the coin is covered drop the card onto it.
Take the card from the left hand and Scoop under the tabled card with the card in
your right hand. Make sure you scoop up the coin as well as you say something like
“Two cards and from between them….spread the cards as they travel to the right letting
the coin shoot from between them “.A coin...”
 Your left hand will now turn the jokers face up And Let the face card of the pair
slide off onto the upper corner of your close-up pad. Scoop up the first coin onto the face
of the card with your left hand and point to it with your right index finger. At the same
time the left thumb pins the coin to the face and turns it over as you release another coin
from classic palm.
This gives the appearance of the coin being flipped by the card onto the table.
However you have loaded the card with one more coin. Set the card with the coin under it
over the coin just produced. I should not have to mention the coins should not touch as
this will kill the whole thing.
Snap the finger over the card and slide it back showing the second coin. Scoop the
two coins up and perform the load and drop move just as you did a moment ago. You do
only clip one coin as you lever the card over. What the spectator should see is two coins
being flipped over with a card. You will now steal this coin in your left hand as you set
its card on the table.
In this next part you will produce the last two coins in a very startling manner.
Your Left hand reaches up about two feet above the table and arms length away. When
your hand is as far as it can reach without straining you produce the coin at the fingertips.
At the same time you will touch the card to the table and leave the coin with the other
two. Bring the both hands back to about eye level as you say “That make three…”
Pause for a moment and say “that makes four…” You now look down at the third
coin laying there next to the others. One small touch that will sell this part, do not move
to the coins on the table. At the point the spectators notice the coin they will remember
you were a long away at the point the coin appeared. Let it set in for a moment by saying
nothing further for a moment. Then on to phase 2.

Phase 2:

In this part you will explain how it all works or at least the spectators will
believe. You will explain that it all takes place because you can make them vanish from
one place to another. You will pick up the four coins and toss them to your left hand but
one is retained using the Benzias friction palm.
When the coins hit the palm of the left you snap it shut so no one knows there are
only three. You will now load the coin that is in the left hand under the card. The coin
will be in fingertip rest as your index finger is extended over the card to flip it over. This
is a standard Matrix load.
You revolve the card over the coin in finger tip rest as you turn your hand palm
up. This move can be found in so many books if you do any kind of Matrix you probably
already know it.
Set the card on the pad with the coin under it. Turn your right hand palm down
and push the coins to finger tip rest as you say “The only way to produce the coin is to
make them disappear from a place such as a pocket or my hand…..” The next part is
going to be the cleanest vanish of a coin you could ask for because it is gone already.
Your hands come together and the right hand acts as if it were taking a coin. At
the same time your left hand spreads the coins behind the right fingers. This creates the
sound of a coin scraping across each other. Remember as your right hand moves away
with its coin do not take your eyes off of it. Crumple your fingers to affect the vanish.
 Your spectator will now look at your left hand, so hold that position and let them
see there are only three coins. Let the three coins drop into the hand as you turn the left
hand palm up. It is unmistakable at this point there are only three coins. This is a great
moment as you are so far ahead that there is no reasoning it out in a spectators mind. Lift
the card to show the coin under the card.
Perform the first phase one more time, but this time with two coins. When you
complete the second coin vanish you will be left with two coins in your left hand and two
coins on the table that have magically jumped under the joker.
You will switch to a one behind method to throw off those that think they may be
“In the know” Hold the two remaining coins in a spell bound position in your left hand as
you can see in the photo below.

Reach over to take a coin with your right hand your thumb goes behind and
fingers go in front of the coins. When the coins are completely behind your right fingers
your left hand releases the rear most coin; it will drop to a finger palm position.
Your right hand moves to the right as if it were holding the coin; Rub the coin (?)
out of existence and open your hand. Snap the coin at the fingertips of the left hand to an
upright position so that your thumb and fingers are holding it on the face. Take the coin
at the finger tips with the right hand as you say “Only one coin left…” perform my
shuttle pass variation.
You are going to bring the right hand over to the left hand during the travel the
thumb pulls its coin behind the fingers. When the hands meet the left hand pushes its coin
into the same position as the right hand once held its coin. While keeping your eyes on
the coin in the left hand your right will push the card forward off the coins. At the same
time releasing the coin in the right hand this will look as if the coin was under the card.
During this loading you should not hesitate just “do it”. The last coin is going to
travel under the spectators own hand. This uses a technique I first encounter in a book
called “The Close-up Entertainer” by Paul Harris.
Pick up the last coin and drop it into your left hand. Close the hand and turn it
over as this occurs push the coin out of the hand so it is clipped between the tips of the
fingers and the heal of your left hand.
Pick up the card with your right hand and come over to the left at the same time
the left hand will rotate palm up and release the coin. The coin will fly toward the right
hand where it will be caught with the fingers. The coin is now loaded under the card as
you ask one of your spectators to hold their hand palm down a couple inches over the
table.
 Slide the three coins under their hand using the card as a scoop. Instruct them to
drop their hand onto the coins as you pull the card out from under it, this loads the last
coin under their hand. All that is left is to show the coin has disappeared from your hand
to finish.

Final Thoughts:
At the point that the card is loaded with the coin you can scoop the coins up and
drop them into their hand. This is a little gutsier as you will have to instruct them to close
their hand fast. Even if you say that they need to close it fast so you cannot sneak
anything inside their hand it still sounds funny. It also gives them an idea of what you are
going to do. This is all very casual do not call attention in a place where there should not
be any.
I would set a small table up in the lobby of the restaurants that I would work in
and it had a close up mat for its surface and this is where I would perform this effect as
well as many other coin routines.

Four Bits and a Box

This is a nice little transposition with an Okito Box and eight coins. Four of which
are copper and four are silver. There is one drawback you must own a Special coin box
set. To be exact you must have the Starr (slotted) box from this set. You will also need
one copper/silver gimmick.
Set-up: Place the copper/silver gimmick into the box with the copper side
showing. Then onto this will go the four silver coins and the lid is placed on top. Four
English pennies will be in a handy pocket.
Reach into the pocket and retrieve the four copper coins and set them on the table
in a row in front of the coin box. Pick up the coin box as you say that you will make the
four coins on the table magically jump to the box. Turn the coins over showing them on
both sides with the empty right hand.
Remove the lid from the box and dump the coins onto the palm up right hand. The
right hand now curls the fingers over so the coins turn over; this shows the other side as
silver as well. Turn the right hand over and catch the coins in finger tip rest position. Toss
the coins from the hand while it is palm down.
The coins will exit the right hand but one will stay behind stuck to the finger tips.
This is known as a Benzias Friction Palm. During this toss motion the right thumb will
extend and gently rap the edge of the box causing the coin inside to fall out. If you own
the box set you will know this move and it will make sense.
The tapping of the box will cause the coin to fall out silver side up onto the three
coins that were tossed from your hand. This will look as if you tossed the four coins from
the right hand but you really have a coin secretly held in your right.
Set the box aside for a moment with the lid on top. Slide the coins around so there are
two rows of coins; one silver and the other copper. During this sliding around of coins
you will push the hidden coin into classic palm. Say something to the effect that “the
coins will travel to the box, but if they were to travel ….”
 Pick up the lid and load it with the standard “lid load”. Pick up the copper coins
and drop them into the box and replace the lid. The extra silver coin will be loaded into
the box unbeknown to the spectator. Set the coin box off to the right of the close-up pad
for the time being.
Pick up the stack of silver coins and hold them between your fingers. The
copper/silver coin is at the bottom of the stack when the hand turns palm up. The coins
are dropped into your hand and the hand closes around the coins. It should look as if you
simply picked up the coins, but you are hiding the fact that the copper side of the gaff is
showing. You then say….”when the coins travel to the box it would have to switch with
one of the copper which is inside….”
Open your right hand to reveal the coin on the top of the stack is now silver.
When the hand is opened you simply tilt your hand slightly forward allowing the coins to
slide so the copper coin is closest to the spectator. Slip the copper silver coin to the
bottom of the stack. Close your hand once again and turn it palm down.
Catch the coins at fingertip rest again in preparation for the friction palm. Dump
the coins in the box onto the table near the front of the close-up pad. Move the box back
toward the back and perform the toss toward the box.
This will accomplish a number of things; First it will let you get another silver
coin concealed in the right hand, Second it will dislodge the coin hidden in the box and
let it fall onto the three silver coins, It will also allow the copper/silver coin to be turned
silver side up.
This little sequence should look like the coins simply trade places. Load the lid
with the coin in your right hand and perform the same set of moves to accomplish the
second coin transposition as you did with the first coin. In reality you will do the same for
the rest of the coins as well.
It will then appear that there are two copper and, two silver coins in the box. Your
hand will contain the same thing as far as the audience is concerned. Perform the same
sequence to make it look as if the third has switched places.
The last coin is done the same way as the first three except you will hold the gaff
back during the toss motion and pocket it as you put the props away or as you go for
another prop for the next trick.

Afterthoughts:
You could skip the transposition with the box on the last coin and do your favorite
copper/silver routine. You could also do this routine with six coins instead of eight.
Doing the transpositions three times will make it easier to maintain an audience’s
attention in the event you find it hard to do so.
 Candleabra-Cadabra
I would like to pass on this nice little coin production and if you are at all handy
you should have no problem making the prop. It is a very flashy eye catching production
of four silver coins.
You will have to search around to find the right kind of candle holder that will
allow your coins to reside in without being seen from the front. This would be the type
that has a pattern in the glass that is made to diffuse the candles light.
The effect is simple; you light a candle and ask the lights be dimmed. You then
relate a story of the Black Penny. It was a mythological coin which during the 18th
century which was reported to have magical powers. It could cure just about any disease
that was around then Mad cow, Anthrax, Small pox, Gas, etc...
During the story you light a piece of paper on fire using the candle. It is then
tossed into the candle holder that you just removed the candle from and four coins are
dumped to the table from the clear candle holder.

The construction of the candle is the hard part here and yet it is not impossible to
make. You will need a Votive candle and a candle holder. Remove the candle from the
metal cup that the candle comes in. It should just slide right out if you turn it upside
down.
With the candle removed you will have a metal cup that can easily be cut apart in
the following manner. This part will take a bit of patients to make but it is worth it for the
overall affect.
With a sharp blade you are going to score a straight line around the base of the
candle cup. You will have to make many passes with the blade in order to get all the way
through the metal. Once the metal is cut through you are going to trim the bottom just
enough so it will fit into the cup. It should be a snug fit but easily removed from the cup
again.
Place five silver dollars into a stack on the table in front of you. Drop the ring that
was the cup over the coins. Drop the bottom that you just trimmed into the cup on top of
the coins. Using a hot glue gun tack the bottom in place where it is. When the glue dries
lift the cup off of the coins. Continue gluing around the bottom of the cup where the seam
and the sides meet.
When you are finished it should be water tight. Make sure that you do not fill the
seam too much you should use just enough glue to seal the edges. Lift the top silver
dollar off of the stack and set it aside as you will not need it any more. Flip the cup over
so the glued side is at the bottom and set it over the coins. It should sit over the coins and
the bottom should touch the table.
You may notice when you dropped the candle from the cup that the wick was
separate from the candle. Not all votive candles work this way but if they do not a little
experimentation will get you through the next steps.
Set the wick platform into the middle of the cup and take the candle to the
kitchen. Find a glass which will hold the candle because you are going to microwave the
candle for a few second. The glass should be a junk one as after you do this it will be
more work to get the wax from the glass than it is worth.
 Microwave the wax for about 30 seconds and let it cool for a moment. Then
repeat until the wax is a liquid. I say it this way because every microwave is different and
to give instructions on how to do it with yours would be foolish. So you will have to
experiment yourself to see what is appropriate for your machine. Once you have done
this and you have the wax melted to a liquid you will have to pour it into the top of the
cup with the wick in the middle.
I have found that the wick can be attached to the bottom of the cup first by
dipping the platform into the wax and quickly sticking it to the base in the center. Once
the wax has cooled it will hold the wick there while you poor the molten wax back into it
slowly.
Obviously the cup will hold only half as much liquid as it once did. Let it cool
thoroughly and it will look like a perfect candle with a secret load chamber under it. Set
the four coins into the candle holder and drop the candle on top of them. It will look as if
there is a candle in the candle holder and nothing else.
Set the candle holder on the table along with the paper and the pen. Begin your
patter story about the black penny. You then say “The black penny is not the only coin
which has been known to have magical powers…” You take the sheet of paper and jot
down a dollar sign on the front of the paper and crumple it loosely. Set the paper aside for
a moment and pick up the candle holder with your left hand.
Remove the candle from the candle holder with your right hand leaving behind
the coins. You should hold the candle holder above the eye level of the spectator. The
fingers of your left hand will help mask the coins inside from view. Grab a lighter from
your pocket and light the candle and let it burn for a moment as you put the lighter back
in your pocket.
Pick the paper up with your right hand and touch it to the flame and toss it into the
candle holder. When the flame starts to finish burning out you will let the coins fall into
your right hand. After the paper is tossed the right hand will wait below the holder for the
coins to be dropped into it. You should let them land in your outstretched hand.
This is a very pretty thing to see and comes as quite a shock to a lay audience.
The average person does not know that a diffuser on a candle holder will also diffuse the
coins from sight. This is not to say they are invisible but they just do not stick out as if
the glass where clear.
It also helps by not telling them what you are going to do. In other words do not
say” I will light this paper on fire toss it into the glass and four coins will appear….”
Just do it and they will fill in the gaps in their own imagination.
 Okito And The Pen
For this routine you will need four half dollars and an Okito box of your choosing.
There is nothing special about the box so a standard one will work nicely. This routine is
going to be a progressive traveling of three coins to the cap of your sharpie marker. The
first will be a single coin; this one is placed back in the box, then two coins travel after
these two are replaced, you then make all three travel at the same time to finish.
I like this routine as it uses a natural punch finish as one of the phases of the
routine. Where most routines the coins travel one by one to your hands and then follow
that with all the coins traveling at once as the kicker ending. This uses it in a progressive
step to end the routine.
Place four coins in the box and place the lid on top; place your sharpie somewhere
handy as well. When you are ready to perform this routine you are going to place the box
on your left hand and remove the pen; hold it in your right. Set the pen down on the table
in front and lift the lid of the box just a couple inches over the table.
Turn both hands palm down to dump the coins out. During this you move the
right middle and ring finger under the coins as they begin to fall, the stack will fall onto
these two fingers just for a split second. You will note that one of the coins, the bottom of
the stack, may want to stick to your fingers for a moment.
If the stack of coins is held at just the right angle for a split second as they fall the
coin will stick to your fingertips. The three coins on the top of this will not and should
slide off the bottom coin onto the table. Swing your fingers into your palm carrying the
coin in fingertip rest position.
All of these actions blend together in one smooth motion ending with a coin
hidden out of sight in your hand. The hands will be holding both pieces of the box from
above with the openings toward the table. Place the lid and box on the table just for the
moment.
If you would like you can have everything examined at this point but I would not
suggest it as nothing says you are guilty more than that. Place the coins inside the box
one by one with your left hand as you pick up the pen with your right hand. Place the lid
on the box and relate your patter just for a moment, if you do not have any here is some
to get you through until you can come up with a better story line.

“The following effect came about when I was at a restaurant, I had decided to write a
check for my meal but noticed I wrote it for 50 cents less than my bill was for...Then I
remembered the little brass box I carried my coins in so I reached inside my jacket
pocket and that is when it hit me I left the coin box at home...I pulled the check book
out and was about to write a check for 50 cents when a coin fell out of the lid of my
trusty ball point pen I was carrying...”

You simply pull the lid from the marker with your right hand and give it a shake,
as you do release the grip on the coin and allow it to fall to the table. It should look as
though the coin fell from inside of the cap. This is a very standard thing that has been
around for years and is used in many coin and pen routines.
 “At this point I had to wonder if this was one of the coins from my coin box that I left
at home, as you can guess if it was that would leave only two in the box...”

As you are saying this you are going to place the cap down with your right hand
and pick up the coin box lid and set it aside. The right hand is going to take the box and
hold it in a spell bound position. Tip your hand down to dump the coins from the box into
your left but a couple things are going to occur:
As the right hand turns down to dump the coins you are going to allow the stack
to fall onto the tips of your right fingers. This will cause the coins to fall onto a position
to perform a Benzias friction palm, you let the coins fall directly onto the open left hand.
One coin will of course be held on the fingertip rest position in the right hand.
You will note that the box will have to be manipulated during this action as
follows: hold the coin box in a modified Spellbound position so that the box is centered
between your index and middle finger. Your right thumb should be in the top in the
center of the box. The box should be back away from the tips of your index and middle
finger past the first knuckles crease. You will note that your hand will be turned palm
upward a bit so the coins do not fall from the box prematurely.
Bring your hands together so that the back of your right pinky, the nail in
particular, touches the inside of tip of your left pinky. You will of course be holding your
left hand out more or less flat to catch the coins as you dump them from the box.
You should actually have your left hand cupped slightly so that as the coins are
dumped they do not fall off your left hand. The tips of you left hand will curl naturally
behind your right fingers.
Dump the coins into your left hand but as you do rotate the box slightly in toward
yourself so the opening of the box is pointing to 7 o’clock position from a birds eye view
of both of your hands. Extend your middle and ring finger out straight as you adjust the
grip on the box so that only the index finger and thumb hold pressure on the box.
During this action you will also rotate your right hand so the fingers point inward
toward yourself as subsequently toward your left palm as well. You will note that the top
coin which was in the box will stick to your fingers as the fall from the box. The three
coins above it will slide directly off into your left palm.
Bring your right middle, ring finger, and pinky upward into your palm and press
the coin against your palm for a split second. If you did the dump out correctly you will
have the coin box held between your right index finger and thumb in a mouth downward
position.
Lower your right middle finger downward onto the bottom edge of the box closest
to it and press downward. This will cause the box to pivot mouth upward using your
index finger and thumb as a pivot point.
All of the action though described one after the other separately will actually be
done in one continuous action. They should be done smoothly and seamlessly and should
appear to be just dumping the coins from the box into your hand.
The clipping of the coin and rotating of the box should be done as you lift upward
and set the box toward the back of your palm. It is a simple thing to classic palm the coin
in your right hand.
“At this point it occurred to me that I could do it with one coin anytime I wanted
to...” Pick up the pair of coins at your right fingertips so that your fingers are on the face
of the coin and your thumb is on the back of the rear coin. Push the coin box up to a
Spellbound type grip in your left hand with the mouth of the box facing the audience but
still tilted back a bit.
You apparently place the coins into the box what will really happen is the back
coin of the two will go behind the box as follows; when the right hand comes toward the
box you are going to pull the back coin inward toward your palm for about half of the
coins width. Place the front coin onto the rim of the box.
The front coin will lie so that it is flat against the rim of the box. The edge of the
lower coin will actually be pressed against the side of the box. You will be able to see
this condition if you look from above but it should be completely concealed from your
audiences view by the back of your right hand.
Press the pair of coins against the side of the box but as you do press the box
upward against your right fingertips so the top coin becomes trapped against the fingers.
This will allow you to lessen the grip with your right thumb. You should see right away
that the bottom coin of the pair will stay where it is and a space between the two coins
begins to appear at the left side.
You will continue to apply pressure until the bottom coin, the one on your thumb,
creates enough space that if you push the coins to your left the box can be slid between
them. You will see that the box will stay in contact with the coin on your thumb and slide
under the box as you continue to slide both to the left.
The upper coin will fall into the box and the lower coin will go under the box but
your audience will believe that both fall inside. After the lower coin is directly under the
coin box your left fingers and thumb constrict slightly rolling slightly over the edge of the
coin to hold it place for the moment.
“That is two... Plus this one is three coins in the box...” Reach down with your
right hand to grab the first coin that traveled at the same time relax the grip on the coin
behind the box so the coin hidden there can fall into finger palm.
Place the coin from the table into the box so it looks as you did with the first two
and place the lid on the box. Set the box aside on the table as you say “It was not long
before I figured out that I could also make two coins jump from the box into my pen... but
only when I was short by a dollar...”

Status thus far: You have a coin in each hand, and two in the box. Your spectators
believe you have all three in the box at this point.

Pick up the pen and again shake the coin out of it as you did before; this is of
course the coin that is hidden in your right hand. When you do this the coin will fall from
your right hand and fall into your left hand; it will hit the coin hidden in your left hand.
“That is two at once...”
To help sell the illusion that the two coins fall from your hand it is a good idea
drop your left hand just a bit as the pen cap is shaken toward it. As you do this release
the coin in left finger palm so the coin will stay in the air as the left hand drops
downward.
This will cause the two coins to collide in midair and then fal to your left hand as
it op-ens out flat to catch these two coins as they fall. It will look as if both of the coins
came from the cap at once.
 The next sequence of events are going to be done with a bit of special timing I
will do my best to convey this as we go.
Set the pen down on the table for the time being and lift the lid of the Okito box
and set it aside for the moment. You will pick up the two coins on the table with your
right hand as you say “remember that was two…. Which leaves one….!
The left hand will tip the box over so the two coins inside fall out onto the table as
you perform the dump out from a moment ago allowing one coin to be retained at the tip
of the left fingers during the friction palm.
This time however you will dump what looks like one coin to the table with your
left hand as you set the two coins in your right hand down at the same time. The two
coins in the right hand are going to be dropped to the table to help mask the sound that
the Okito box makes. Two coins falling from the box sounds a bit different than one but
the falling coins from your right hand help cover this.
After performing this set of moves you will have a coin which is hidden in your
left hand and you will still have the Okito box in your left hand as well. Preform the same
rollover as when you did this a few moments ago so the box will be mouth upward as you
set the coin box onto the table. Retain the coin in fingertip rest position for a moment and
relax your hand.
Pick up the three coins with your right hand and perform a shuttle pass into your
left hand; this will leave a coin in your right hand which the audience is unaware of.
Begin to place the coins into the box one at a time with your left hand. If you would like
you could Topit the coin in your right hand as you will not need it from here on out but
simply ditching in a pocket is as easy to do too.
Place the lid over the box so that it is diagonally from the box to the table. The top
of the lid will point toward your spectator and partially cover the box from the spectators
view. From here you will perform a standard turnover which reverses the box under the
lid secretly.
Place your right fingers over the top of the lid so they are pretty much flat against
it. Begin to pull the whole box back toward yourself but as you do press down on the
inner edge of the box with the edge of your right thumb. This should cause the coin box
to lever upward so that the front edge flips upward.
It will flip over so that it will eventually roll onto your right thumb tip as the lid
falls into place over the bottom of the box. You will then apply pressure to the whole box
so the coins are retained in the now inverted box. You should now be holding the coin
box in your right fingers between your thumb and index finger.
Place the coin box into your left hand so that it is in a position where you would
normally finger palm coins at. Slide the pen, which should be sitting on your working
surface, to your right just a bit as if to move it to the side just a little to make room for the
coin box to be set in a moment.
Lift the coin box from your left hand with your right but allow the coins to be
stolen in finger palm position. As you lift the box from your hand roll your left hand
inward and constrict your fingers around it so they are left in a finger palm position.
Instead of using space to explain a basic coin box move here as it is a pretty standard
steal method you can get greater detail many other places.
Place the coin box on the table and once again retrieve the pen with your right
hand and hold it up to your ear and give it a shake as if you are listening for the coins to
arrive. Pull the cap from the pen with your left hand and look inside and act as if you just
witnessed the coins arriving inside.
Set the pen on the table and give the cap a sudden jerk into the right palm to
launch the coins into it where they are caught just as your left hand has done up to this
point. The three coins are caught and displayed on your open right palm. You will have to
“right” the box on the table using any method you prefer.

At this point all is clean and a good point to let things be inspected, or not if you
ever ask my opinion. I reset this thing in a very subtle way I place the marker into my
pocket and retrieve the extra coin. I toss the coins on the table into my left hand and place
them into the box adding the hidden coin. You are all set to do the routine again at the
next table or whatever.

Chink E Chink
It seems that everyone has their own version of a Matrix or a Chink a Chink what
follows is just another one but it is the one I formulated for my own use. I want to begin
by saying that the mannerisms I use to make this come about are going to be gone over
first.
I perform each coin by passing the hands over them this is in contrast with placing
the hand and pausing while the coin jumps which is the usual way it is done in most
Chink A Chink routines. I then give only a second to see the coin has moved then I push
the coins aside to show there are no holes in the hand or the table.
Out of context this makes little sense so I will go into this more later. I will try to
make this a bit clearer as I go through the phases of the routine.

Getting into the routine, remove five silver dollars from your right pocket and
drop them into your left hand. When you do you will do a Benzias friction pass and retain
one in your right hand fingertip rest position.
Pick up one of the coins in your left hand with your right hand and close your left
hand loosely around the remaining coins after you remove the first coin. Push another
one of the coins up to the fingertips as you close your left hand. Place these two coins in
front of you so they are about 10-12 inches apart. Repeat this same thing with the
remaining two coins but place them behind the first two on the table. You are forming the
usual “Matrix” type square.
Drop your hands onto the table so your right hand is behind the rear coin on the
right and the left will do the same behind the left rear coin. You are going to wave your
hands in a circle over each of the rear coins. In the process of this the left coin will be slid
back using the left hand as the right hand leaves behind the coin it conceals next to the
coin in the right rear corner.
This will make the coin look as if it jumped across the table to join the coin lying
in the lower right corner. Immediately your right hand turns palm up as you say “you see
no trap doors in the palm of my hand...” The right turns back down on the coins and
slides them to the left as the left hand raise. You are going to time this so the right hand
covers the coin hidden under the left hand before you lift your left hand from the table.
The right hand slides back to your right taking only one of the coins away with it,
this will leave two coins in the left corner. The right hand slides back to where it was as
you say “no traps in the table obviously...” The right fingers rub the table as if looking
for a hole in the table. You can now show your left hand palm up for the moment. The
two coins in the inside corner will be accepted as the two that were on the right a moment
ago.
Slide the right hand back over and take the two coins in the left corner and place
them in the right corner again. Your audience should not be aware of the extra coin under
your right hand.
Perform the same action to make the outside left coin travel to the inside right
corner. Like the first coin. You are going to do the same slide together you did earlier that
looks like a tabled shuttle pass. This will leave three coins together around the center of
the work area.
Your right hand is going to slide forward and take one of each of the coins under
each finger with the exception of the index finger. You will have a coin which is hidden
under your right palm in preparation for its production in a moment.
The left hand picks up the coin in the upper right corner. As the left hand passes
over the right hand the right hand slides back just enough to allow the coin under the
palm to take its position under the index finger. The left hand lifts the last coin up to eye
level as you watch it like a hawk.
Perform the “Revolution Coin Vanish” and then draw attention to the coin under
the index finger. While they take notice of the coin under the index finger you will allow
the coin in the left hand to drop into finger palm position. Pick up the four coins on the
table and toss them into your left hand and pocket same to end.

Coin's and Purse

The following routine is a simple Okito type routine not with a box but a coin
purse; you will need five silver dollars as well. Place all of the coins in the purse before
you start the routine and you are ready to start at anytime.
Dump the coins onto your right hand as you draw attention to the coin purse.
“You know this is not a very magical way to produce my coins so let me do that again in
a magical way...” As you say this the right hand dumps the coins to the table but one will
be held back using the Benzias friction palm.
Pick up the top coin of the group and place it into the coin purse, as you classic
palm the coin hidden in the right hand. The left hand is going to grip this coin through the
purse so that the finger and thumb are in the center of the coin. The next coin is going to
be placed into the purse so it is between your thumb and the first coin. You will notice
that if you do this right the second coin will only go in about half of its width.
The second and third are placed in the same way and the purse is snapped shut. If
you use a small coin purse you will have to make certain adjustments in your grip to keep
the coins from being seen after they are inside the purse. The only thing that matters is
you are control of the coin which was placed inside the purse first.
“I think it would be more magical to reach out with my hand and make a coin
jump from the purse and catch it....” you then reach out and grab at the air with your right
hand and produce the coin inside. “That is the first coin...”
Place the first coin on the table in front of you and open the coin purse with your
right hand and dump the coins onto the right palm. The left fingers will retain the coin it
is holding throughout the production. The right hand will display the three coins just for a
moment. While you perfrom this brief display make sure your right hand lingers under
the coin purse which is being held mouth downward for the moment.
Turn your right hand over and catch the coins on the fingertips and perform
another friction palm of the Benzias type as you toss the coins to the left. The top two
coins of the stack will travel to the left as you let the grip go on the coin inside the purse
where it will fall with the two from the right hand. This when timed right looks as if you
tossed three coins to the table and nothing more!
You will have a coin hidden away from the audience in your right hand. Place the
coin purse in your right hand just for a moment and load the coin behind it. Use your left
hand to move the three coins around as if to make an attempt to make it clear that only
three coins were inside.
Place the purse back in your left hand and hold it so the opening is upward. Pick
up the three coins that just came from the purse and perform the “Mid-Air Coin Vanish”
allowing the coins in your right hand to fall into the open purse. This allows you to retain
a coin in your right hand as well as hide one behind the coin purse.
Pick up the single coin on the table in a loose palm down fist. Release your grip
on the classic palmed and allow it to clink on the coin at fingertip rest. Turn the right
hand palm up to display only two coins on your right palm. Maneuver one of them onto
your palm so it can be classic palmed as you turn your hand palm down.
Toss one of the coins on your right palm onto the table as you classic palm the
other. At the same time you will let go of the coin behind the purse where it will fall with
the coin from the hand. This will be accepted as the two coins which were in your right
hand.
Hand the coin purse to a spectator and ask them to remove the contents of the
purse. Take the coin purse from them and load the coin in the right hand behind it. Take
the coins from the spectator and place them into the purse so that the rear most coin of the
pair is secretly placed behind the purse along with the coin which is there already.
This is done by holding the coins with your fingers on the front of the pair and
your thumb on the back; they will be perpendicular to the floor. Bring your right hand
down to place the coins in the purse but as you do spread the coins ever so slightly so that
the rear opening of the purse can be slid between the coins.
The rear coin should be slid down the back of the coin purse as you lighten your
grip on the coin which was already behind the coin purse. The coin of the pair should be
slid over this coin and clipped above the one already hidden there. If you release your
grip on the two coins in your right hand the front one should go into the purse and the
rear coin of the pair should be clipped behind the purse.
When you are holding the coins behind the purse the grip will be maintained by
your thumb on the rear most coin. The coin just loaded from behind should be clipped
near the top of the coin and this pressure will hold the coin below it in a stepped
condition. If you were lighten your grip at this point the coin at the bottom of the stack,
closest to the bottom of the purse, should fall free.
Produce the coin you are holding out in a way you see fit such as reaching behind
an elbow or knee but just from the air in front of you would work as well. Pick up the two
coins which are already on the table and turn you right hand palm up and allow the three
coins to be seen on your otherwise empty palm.
Toss the coins to the table retaining one as your left lets its grip on the top coin
loosen just a bit. This will cause the bottom coin to slide out from between the top coin
and the purse. It will drop to the table and coalesce with the coins which fell from your
right hand. This will look as if dropped the three coins from your right palm.
Let the purse lever over onto the tips of your left hand so that the coin is lying
under it on the tips of your fingers. The coin purse is going to be tossed into your right
hand where it will be caught; the coin will travel under it as it flies. This is the toss
known as the “Purse Swindle” or “Purse Game” and can be found in Bobo’s coin magic.
When the purse lands on the right palm the coin should be around finger palm
position. The right will toss the purse to the table but it will retain the coin as you ask the
spectator to remove the coin and place it back inside. This is where you want them to
confirm there is only one coin inside.
Take the coin purse on your palm up left hand. The right hand is going to move
the three coins on the table forward one at a time as the left moves back to the edge of the
table. You then tip the hand so the back is more toward the audience. This will allow the
coin purse to fall into your lap unseen by the spectators.
The left hand and the right hand will now come together to hide the coin purse
from the audience. This is because you cup your right hand over your left hand. The right
will let the coin in finger palm drop onto your left palm. Say “The last coin will vanish
from the purse a bit differently than the rest…” Lift your hand to show that the purse has
vanished and drop the fourth coin on the table with the rest.

The Purse Follow-up

The coins will now return to the purse one at a time in a very interesting manner.
“I have found that if I want the coins to travel to the coin purse all at once is much
harder than one at a time ….” Place the coins in a row with your left hand. Your right
hand is going to open the coin purse in your lap so the coins can be dropped in one at a
time.
Pick up the coin on the right hand side of the row and perform a retention vanish
into the left hand then Act as if you are tossing the coin in the left down onto the coin at
the far left. At this time the right hand will drop into your lap and drops the coin secreted
into the coin purse it will make a slight clink but the spectators should believe it to be the
coins on the table.
Say “That make this coin worth two dollars as there is a coin hidden inside of it
now…” Pick up the second coin and perform a similar procedure to make it look like you
toss the second coin “into” the coin at the left, follow this with the third coin. Say “Of
course if the last coin contained all of the other's it would not only make it worth Four
dollars, it makes it much easier for all coins to travel at the same time…” During this you
will snap the coin purse shut and thumb palm it in the right hand.
Your left hand will pick up the coin on the table in spellbound position and holds
it out so you can perform a spellbound change. This will visually change the coin into the
coin purse. The coin at the finger tips will drop into left finger palm as the coin purse is
left at the tips of the left fingers.
Hand the spectator the coin purse and ask them to open it; they will of course be
looking at four coins inside. This gives you plenty of time to ditch the extra coin and end
clean.

China Syndrome
This routine is a nice piece of magic, nothing really new but I am including it
because I like the routine so much. You will need three coins two silver dollars and a
Chinese coin. You will also need a coin purse that will just hold the coins.
When you are ready to begin you simply dump the coins into your right hand and
friction palm one of the silver coins as you toss them to the table. The audience will see
the two coins and be unaware of the second silver which is in your right hand in fingertip
rest position. At any point that you please push the coin back into your right finger palm
as it will need to be there for the following switch.
Pick up the Chinese coin with your right hand and hold it in my usual position to
display a coin. You know the one where it is clipped to the side of your index finger with
your thumb. Display the Chinese coin there as your left hand picks up the coin purse so
the hand can drop the coin inside.
What is really going to happen is that your thumb is going to pull the coin behind
your right fingers as you release the coin in finger palm. This coin will fall into the open
purse and the right follows along behind to snap the frame shut.
This switch takes a little practice to keep the coins from talking but is from
complicated. I then hand the purse to someone to hold onto in a manner that lets them
feel the edge of the coin in their hand through the bag of the purse. What follows is going
to be a rapid succession of coin transformations that will look as if you are transposing
the coins or at least that is what you tell the audience.
Pick up the silver dollar on the table at the tips of your right fingers; as you bring
the coin up to your palm up left hand you are going to downs palm the silver dollar and
place the Chinese coin into what is called spellbound position in your left fingertips. This
is going to complete change number one.
The next change will happen before the audience can react to the first change. The
right hand comes back to the left and produces the silver dollar in front of the Chinese
coin. At the same time you let the Chinese coin fall to finger palm in your left hand. The
right hand then moves forward with the coin toward the spectator eyes; move this coin
forward about a foot.
 To produce the coin during the previous change you do as follows: as your right
hand approaches the Chinese coin the fingers bend inward and clip the edge of the coin in
Downs palm between the index and middle finger; curl in just enough to clip the edge of
the coin.
Straighten your right index and middle finger in front of the Chinese coin as the
thumb pushes the silver coin to a vertical position in front of the Chinese coin. When
your right fingers are nearly straight switch your grip so that you are holding the silver
coin in between your index finger and thumb. You will basically be “catching” the silver
coin between your index finger and thumb.
You will notice that the right thumb can be used to push the Chinese coin back
into the left fingers because when the coin is produced the nail should strike the coin
slightly.
Hold the silver coin against the side of your index finger as we have done for so
many of the routines so far. Rotate your right hand inward as you rotate your; left hand
upward into a palm up position under your right hand.
Place the silver coin onto your left palm but as you do open your right hand as flat
as you can. You should allow your right hand to come down onto your left palm so that
the Chinese coin is under the spot you would finger palm a coin.
Press the Chinese coin upward with your left middle and ring finger. Basically
you are transferring from left hand finger palm directly to a right hand finger palm. You
will be sure to time your hands opening so that your right hand covers the Chinese coin
as you left hand opens out flat; a test run in a mirror will show you how the timing works
in this case.
Once the coin is aligned with your right hand in the correct position to finger
palm the coin you need to release the silver coin and curl your right fingers in just a bit.
This light constricting will allow you to carry away the coin in finger palm as you display
the silver coin on your left hand.
Remove the silver coin from your left palm and hold it against your index finger
as you did at the start of the routine. Perform the switch from the beginning of the routine
that you loaded the purse with but this time you let the coin fall onto the left palm. This
will visually change the silver coin to the Chinese at it falls onto your left palm.
The right hand after the drop will travel back toward the edge of the table and lap
the coin it is now concealing. If you are not seated you can just hold onto it in your right
hand and immediately draw attention to the coin purse and use this misdirection to ditch
the coin in any way that you see fit.
Ask your spectator to open the coin purse showing the silver coin is now inside
the purse. It is very helpful if you remind your spectator during each change as to where
the coins should be i.e. “the Chinese coin is in the purse it is now outside and if the
Chinese is out the silver coin must be inside the purse, etc.”

This routine is what I will usually pull out when I see a watch I wish to steal and I
do it as follows. I hold onto the extra silver coin in my right hand and pick up the two
coins after the silver is removed from the coin purse by the spectator.
I toss the two coins into my left hand but I really throw the two silver coins and
ask them to hold out their right hand. I drop both coins inside the spectator’s right hand
and ask them to close their hand around the coins tightly and place them both in their
right pocket.
I place my hands together and transfer the coin to my left hand finger palm. I say
“In a moment I am going to ask you to remove one of the coins and hand it to me quickly
and I will place it in your left hand....” I ask them to hold their left hand palm upward so
that you can take hold of it around the watches band.
As they place the coins into their pocket they will generally look toward their
pocket as they do I push the strap through the keeper with my middle finger and stop for
a second. “Please reach into your pocket with your left hand...” I then reach over and tap
the outside of their pocket.
When I lean to their right to tap the pocket I pull the left hand a bit further, to the
spectators left, as if to move it out of the way and this is the point I pull the strap out of
the pin and move it out of the way. This releases the strap and is free and ready to fall off
of their wrist.
I then place the coin they pulled from their pocket on their open left palm. Turn
their hand over as I say “I will make them trade places….” I use the corny old line about
the hard part is switching them back and ask that they open their hand to see that the coin
is once again back where it started from. This gives me plenty of time to ditch the watch
in my pocket without being noticed.
After the hand is opened and the joke is beat to death you are going to perform
any coin switch that you would like to change the silver coin to the Chinese coin and all
that is left is to have them reach into their pocket to find the silver coin.

What’s that you would like to know how I reveal the watch at the end....too bad,
can’t give everything away? Just kidding I place the coin purse in my pocket before I
begin this last phase but I make sure the frame is not locked shut when I ditch the watch I
push it into the coin purse inside my pocket and set the purse on the table while they are
removing the coin from their pocket.
I then ask another person to hold the coin purse up where everyone can see it. I
place the coins in there hand one more time as I say I would like to make the coins vanish
and travel to the purse but they do not travel. I then have that person open the coin purse
and remove their watch.
 International Divide
This is a version of the coins across using four different coins. I have been known
to use very few gaffs in my magic but every once in a while I will break this out to do for
a couple customers. It starts clean and ends clean and all the coins could be examined.
The gear you will need is simple; four coins a Half dollar, a twenty Centavo, an English
penny. And one of the mock Chinese coins which matches the copper /silver/ brass
gimmick which you will also have to have.
This routine is not an extremely easy routine to do but it is not a real knuckle
buster either. It will require some practice if you are not good at palming coins
particularly one of a group of coins.
I am going to refer to the gaff one of two ways the first will be the insert side.
This will be the side which has the insert in it i.e. if you place this into classic palm the
insert of the gaff will be against the palm. The other side I will refer to as the drop out
position or the shell side. This is due to the fact that you can classic palm it and if you
hold it loosely the insert will fall out of the Chinese coin onto fingertip rest position.

Inside the coin purse is going to be all of the coins mentioned earlier. The gaffed
coin is going to be to the outside of the stack so the insert side is facing the purse wall
itself. The shell will be toward the other coins in the purse. From here you can remove
the stack of coins and classic palm the gaff so the insert side goes into the palm.
Place the coins on your left hand and show them as you talk about each one being
from different country’s or something more exciting. Flip each coin over to show the
coins as being the same on both sides but draw no attention to it, they will draw their own
conclusion as to whether the coins are legitimate or not.
Pick up the coins in your right hand so they are cupped in a loose fist and perform
“Clink With a Flop” so you are left with the English penny in your right finger palm.
Close your hands into fist and produce the English penny in your right hand as you say
“that is one coin to travel...”
Palm the half dollar in your left hand as you allow the gaff, still nested, to fall
onto the English penny in your right hand. Openly show two coins in your right hand and
hold the Centavo and the Chinese coin at your left fingertips.
Drop your left hand down out of the field of focus and allow the classic palmed
coin to drop into finger palm. You are going to transfer the half dollar from your left hand
to your right while doing a corny joke.
You say “would you like to see the coins travel visible from one hand to the
other…?” Place the coins in the left hand into the right with the first two coins you made
travel. You say something like “That was amazing wasn’t it …” While they react to this
blatant bluff you are going to allow the coin to transfer from your left to your right in the
following manner.
You will turn your right hand partially palm up while still holding the four coins
at the tip of your fingers. Your left hand is going to come over to take the coins it just
placed there and take them away. As you left approaches the right hand it releases the
grip on the coin in finger palm and gravity takes it into the right hand. The left hand
slightly constricts to keep the coin as it turns palm down at the same time. Pause here just
for a moment so heat will be off the coins so you can push the half dollar into your right
classic palm.
From here we will take a look at the position of the coins. You should have a real
half dollar classic palmed in your right hand, the gaff coin should be on the tips of your
right fingers with the insert side up, and the English penny should be on top of this. Your
hands should also be in a palm down loose fist. Your left hand should contain the
Centavo and the Chinese coin in a position ready to classic palm the twenty Centavos.
Press the twenty centavo up into the left palm as you release the half dollar in the
right palm. Place the Chinese coin in your left hand onto the table and push the shell side
up into classic palm in your right hand. Allow the insert to fall back onto the coins in the
right hand as you set them on the table.
Pick up the coins in their respective hands and make the last coin travel to the
right hand as follows: press the Chinese coin up into classic palm with your left hand as
you allow the shell to fall onto the coins in the right hand. As the shell in the right hand
falls it makes a great sound when the coin in the left clinks against the centavo that is in
classic palm. Open the right hand allow the coins to be seen on your right palm for just a
second.
Your left hand is going to drop to your side and release the grip on the coins in
classic palm. This will allow them to drop to a finger palm position. If you use the fingers
to ease them from the palm they will be just about silent.
The thing is that you will do this as attention is on the coins in the right hand. You
are going to do a shuttle pass of sorts with the four coins in the right hand onto the left.
This will allow the gaff to be switched out as the two real coins in the left are switched in.
Hold the four coins in the right hand so they are held to your fingers with your
thumb. Your right hand is going to be in a partial palm up position. Turn your right hand
palm down as your left turns palm up under it. At the same time you will pull the Chinese
shell over the centavo, insert, where they will nest together. The English penny and the
half dollar should slide out of the right hand and fall just a bit onto the centavo and the
Chinese coin in your left hand.
The really nice thing is if this is done right the coins will be laying on your left
palm in the order they should be if you really did just set all four coins on your left palm.
This last shuttle pass should not look as if you are tossing the coins but should look as if
you are setting them on the palm.
 The Purse Switch
This is a very simple switch I use to switch an empty coin purse for one which is
loaded with anything really. You will need two purses which are the same size roughly.
You should also use a set which you could palm almost like you would palm a card.
Have both purses in your left jacket pocket. I am going to go through the
mechanics of the switch before I go into any uses of the switch. Reach into your pocket
and bring out both purses in your left hand so they are on top of each other.
You’re going to remove one of the purses with your right hand and your left hand
will casually drop to your left side with the second purse palmed. This is really not a
move and will go unnoticed if you are just casual about it.
Have the contents removed and replaced inside. Take the purse back with your
right hand and place it onto the purse in your left hand. The coin purse will not be
aligned; in fact the purse you just placed into your hand will be slightly forward from the
one already in your hand. This will hide the clasp from the bottom purse under the middle
of the top purse.
Open the purse and remove the coins inside and place them on the table. Snap the
coin purse shut with your left hand using your thumb and the side of your hand. You will
notice that the purse is almost thumb palmed due to the pressure you just placed on the
clasp to shut it.
You will now set your left hand onto the table with the fingers open and allow the
loaded purse to drop to the table. It will slide out from between your hand and the coin
purse which you are clipping by the clasp. The left hand will drop back toward your left
side after it has left the loaded coin purse on the table.
Pick up one of the coins on the table and hand it to a person on your left as you
say “You see they are silver dollars…” While attention is on the coin, the left hand
secretly drops the coin purse into the left jacket pocket. Perform your favorite coin
routine and when ready to show the climax you open the purse on the table.
For some uses of a coin purse switch; you could have a coin removed from the
coin purse and switch it for a purse containing a card. You could then perform a routine
where a coin travels under a card and then to the purse. I can leave the details of the
routine up to you. You could switch in or out gaffed coins so that you could have them
examined. Anything which will fit in the purse can be switched easily enough.
 The Mark-ed Centavo
The following routine is going to be a simple signed coin to anywhere type effect.
I am going to focus on the switch of the coin due to the fact that if done right no switch is
ever expected. I usually do this routine when I have only a couple people watching as the
angle can be a bit much to handle. I will try to address this later on.
You will need two matching coins one of the coins is going to be prepared ahead
of time as follows: draw your initials on the tails side of the coin so they are bold and
easy to read. On the other side place a set of random initials but make them so they’re a
bit harder to see, I guess they would be written a bit sloppy.
Classic palm this coin so your initials are toward the palm of your right hand;
place the other coin in a coin pursel. Place this along with the marker you just used to
make the writing on the coin you are palming in your right pants pocket. You are ready to
begin the routine.
Remove the purse from your pocket that you can remove the coin inside and set it
on the table. Slide the coin over to the spectator and ask them to pick up the coin and
write their initials on the face of the coin so it can be seen clearly. Take the coin and
place it on the palm of your left hand so you can turn it over and write your initials.
When you are finished writing your initials on the coin to match the palmed coin
you will set the pen on your left palm so it is centered between the heal and the base of
your fingers. Push the coin on your palm forward so the coin is just hanging off of the
middle and ring fingers by a fraction of an inch.
Your right hand will come down onto the left hand and remove the pen in a
moment and place it into your pocket; this is the pocket that has the coin purse open in it.
When the right hand does its fingertips will hit the edge of the coin hanging over the tips
of the left fingers and lever it flat against the inside of the finger palm position in your
right hand.
The right hand will take the pen from the left hand between your thumb and your
index finger. Allow the coin that was just levered off your fingertips to continue under
the back of the left fingers. After this coin is away from the fingertips the right hand
releases its grip on the coin in classic palm where it will fall on the tips of the left fingers
where the coin was just a moment ago.
Note that at the point the coin is dropped the real coin is hidden by the back of
the left fingers. The spectators who see this will think nothing of it as it appears to still
have the coin on the palm of your left hand where it has been the whole time. The right
hand will take the pen away as it hides the coin in finger palm position.
All that you need do is drop the coin in the purse and snap it shut as you place the
pen in your pocket. Pull the coin purse from your pocket and set it on the table casually
as if it had nothing to do with the trick.
Pick up the coin and say “you see my initials on one side hers on the other...”
You flash the other side of the coin to someone who did not see her initials at the outset.
You could even hand the coin to a spectator in the group to hold onto while you go onto
another effect then come back to it later.
If you do want to do it this way you want to do it in a way that will keep the
spectator from handling the coin too much and being able to memorize the coins
appearance. This could be done by simply having them hold out their cupped hands
flashing the coins other side and dropping it on their palms with your initials face
upward. All that is left is to vanish the coin and produce the one in the coin purse.
Here is a tip for coin workers that solves two different problems the first being
how to get the markings off of the coin for the next performance. The second problem is
how to make your hands the right consistency to perform coin magic.
You will need to find a small spray bottle that will fit in your case. The one I use
will fit in my pocket and is no bigger than a lipstick tube. It is sold as a refillable pump
breath spray and all that is needed is to place mouthwash in it and it can be used to
“freshen” your breath.
I fill the bottle with generic yellow mouthwash I then use this to clean the coin off
after each performance. This yellow mouthwash when sprayed on your hands will make
your hands work great with coins. If they are dry, oily, sweaty, or whatever this will fix
the problem in a second.
Try it you will be surprised, do keep in mind that some people are allergic to these
types of things so use this at your own risk. I only point this out because I have no
reaction to this at all if you do you should stop using this idea immediately.

Finale For Coins

You will need two gimmicks for this routine one is a shell coin this is not
expanded it is just a shell but you will also need an expanded shell as well. Glitter is the
final ingredient in the shopping list; it must be fine silver glitter. Set the shell on the table
and place a bit of the glitter inside of it and place the expanded shell on top of this then
you are ready to go.
Place the coin in finger palm in your right hand and produce it from your elbow or
something like that. Perform my retention pass starting with the expanded shell outward
toward the audience. Produce the coin once again then place the coin on your left hand so
it is in position to finger palm the coin.
The right hand will then come over the coin and act as if you are smashing the
coin to make it smaller and smaller. You then lift the expanded shell from the coin
slightly both hands separate quickly with a sharp tossing motion. The left hand finger
palms the shell as the right finger palms the expanded shell. This will cause the glitter to
fly from the shell as turn both hands palm to the floor and display the hands in a Ramsey
subtlety position.
From here I go to my pocket and remove a deck with my right hand and pen with
my left and ditch the shells at the same time. I also do it in the context of a misers dream
routine that goes like this; Place the gaffed and loaded coin in your left hand so the
expanded shell is against the finger palm position.
Place six normal un-gaffed coins on top of this and finger palm one in your right hand to
begin.
 Begin by producing the coin hidden in the right hand at the same time push the
top coin of the stack up to the tips of your left fingers. This should be no problem as your
left hand is to your side and not the focus of the action.
The right hand is going to perform the mechanics of the shuttle pass described
early on in this manuscript with one small change the coin in the left is already out of the
hand. This coin will go unnoticed in the left hand as the coin is moved behind your right
hand before the focus is brought to it.
The right hand will once again produce the coin it now has held hidden this one is
placed in the left with the coin being held out in view. You will say “Oh sorry I now have
two...” the right hand takes the two coins from the left hand and displays them to the
people to your right. The left hand drops to waste level and pushes another coin up out of
the finger palm position for about half of its width in preparation for the next move.
The right hand is going to pull one of the coins down into the hand as the other
coin is placed into the left hand. As this is happening the left hand will push the coin it
has overlapping the stack up to meet the right hands coin. It then takes these two coins
and shows them to the people on the left. You will now have a coin hidden in your right
finger palm and two coins at your left fingertips.
You are going to produce two more coins at the right fingertip and perform the
same actions for transferring each of the coin to the left hand. Upon producing the fourth
coin you will take the four coins in your right hand and simply reach up with your left
hand and produce the four coins hidden in finger palm. These coins will be held in a fan
like the coins in the right.
Place the four coins in the right hand behind the coins in the left and place them
on your left palm so the shell coin is the upper most coin of the group. If you proceed
with the coin as you did with the single coin you make the whole stack turn to glitter and
use the Ramsey subtlety to make the hands appear empty after the transformation.
All that is left is to ditch the coins in the hands and that can be done by moving
onto the next effect using another prop that is in your pockets as I outlined earlier.

A Jumbo Change

The routine used here could be anything you would like to with a small silk and a
coin. It ends with the production of a coin that is three inches in size. This coin is then
made to grow to 5 inches with a shake of the silk it is a very visual transformation. I start
with the five inch coin in my left pants pocket; the three inch coin is in my left jacket
pocket.
I go through a series of coin manipulations such as a coin production, a coin
through silk, etc. I then act as if I am going to place the coin in my coat pocket where I
steel the 3 inch jumbo coin and load it behind the silk as the half dollar pops up from the
silk.
 I then place the half dollar in my pants pocket where I steal the 5 inch coin. It is
brought out of my pocket in a grip which is similar to a Biddle grip used with playing
cards. I then pop up the three inch coin to the top of the silk. This is dropped to the table;
the focus will of course be on this coin.
Meanwhile my right hand then spreads the silk over the left hand covering the 5
inch coin. This is still held in a Biddle grip position. You will hold the hand palm up, the
thumb at the top edge of the coin and fingers on the bottom. The fingers at the bottom
will make a ledge under the silk to places the three inch coin onto. The lip is created by
your left fingers. You are going to transform the 3 to a 5 very visually.
You will note that the silk is over your left thumb and it is pushed forward just a
bit further so the five inch coin is deeper in toward the crotch of your thumb. This helps
mask the shape of the coin under it.
Your thumb is going to snap down to the exposed face of the 5 inch coin as the
hand is thrust forward this makes two things happen at once. First the silk will fall over
the front of the 3 inch coin and second reveal the 5 inch coin. At the same time the
fingers of the left hand are going to pull the 3 inch coin along with the silk further into
the palm as you left hand raises to your face. You then act as if you are blowing on the
coin to make it bigger.
You will see that when you snap forward the silk must fall off the five inch coin
in a direction away from you. It will have to be a hard enough snap that the silk flies over
the top of the larger coin and falls over the tips of your left fingers which are now holding
onto the front of the coin.
The thing with the transformation is all these moves are done in quick succession
to make the change visual. As far as the routine may I recommend Bobo’s coin magic.

JBW’s Visual Production

This is how I produce four coins at the beginning of one of my coin routines. It is
a very startling appearance at the tips of your fingers. The coins are produced one at a
time in a spellbound position. The really nice thing about this is that the fingers show no
signs of a get ready. The right hand is waved in front of the left fingers and the coin
simply materializes.
For this you will use a grip that is a bit different than you might be used to. The
coins are held in thumb palm but they are held by their edges as opposed to the face and
tails side, the illustration should cover this.
You are going to produce the four coins one at a time the same as the first coin is
produced so I will not take up space writing the same thing four times.
The grip on the coins will be very important so follow along with your stack of
coins in your right hand. Push the entire stack into your left hand where you will
normally thumb palm a coin.
Normally you might place them between your thumb and palm so that when you
close your thumb to palm all the coins your thumb will be on one face and the base of
your index finger will be on the other face; this traps the two coins in the center of the
coins touching your hand.
In this handling you will not do this at all. Place the coins into your thumb palm
position so that when you close your thumb against your hand both contact the edges of
the coins. When this is done properly the thumb presses the coins against the base of your
index finger. The stack will be pushed back as far as you can against the crotch of your
thumb.
One last detail you will have to work out for yourself is based on your hand and
performing situation. When the stack is in this position you might grip the coins at their
center allowing more of the coins to be above your thumb. If you note that the coins are
exposed above the back of your hand you may have to grip the coins a bit higher so the
majority of the coin is below the thumb itself.
Show the back of the left hand to the audience and lightly brush it with the right
hand running your right fingers over the back of this hand from the fingertips toward
your palm; both hands will be more or less palm down.
Slowly turn your left palm upward so that it is a Spellbound position behind your
right hand. You will grip the edge of the outer coin of the stack between your middle
finger and thumb and pull it to your left. You will stop moving your left hand and begin
to pull your right hand away from your left hand; it will travel to your right.
As the right hand pulls away it will drag the front edge of the coin to your right
causing it to pivot so the face of the coin is toward your spectator. This is done somewhat
abruptly by applying pressure to the edge of the coin with your right middle finger. When
you draw to the right the coin should almost pop into a face out position. If you watch in
a mirror it should look as if the coin pops into view behind the fingers.
The left hand can lay this coin on the table and repeats the same actions with the
last three coins. This is not a simple thing to make happen but with a little practice it will
look very nice.
 Coin and Glass
This routine is a very classical plot where coins are produced one at a time then
jump from one hand to the other. This uses all moves which we have discussed up until
now. If there are some which I have not I will describe them as I go. You will need to
make a coin gaff for this but it a simple thing to do. I want to talk about the construction
of this gimmick first so that you have it ready for the routine.
You will need four silver dollars and a small bit of poster putty. This should be
the blue type that is used to hold posters on the wall. Start by placing a small ball of it in
your right hand and knead it until it gets warm. When it is soft and pliable you are going
to place it on the tail side of one of the silver dollars and work it from the center to the
edges of the coin so that it covers a nickel size portion of the center of the tails side of the
coin.
Place one of the remaining three coins onto this and press it firmly into the poster
putty. This coin is not going to placed square on the face of the first coin but slightly off
center. Do the same with the next two coins, but when you press the last one at the top of
the stack make sure it has a head facing outward.
You will note that no matter what side the stack is set on a head shows all the
time. This is not at all necessary but it will give a uniform appearance each time you
produce the coins. It will help sell the fact that the coins are the same when they travel
from one place to the other. This is really true if you get someone who wants to verify the
dates on the coins.
The nice thing about making the gimmick this way is if you produce the stack on
the table and switch it out again for the loose coins and produce it somewhere else later
you can squeeze the gimmick by its side and change the shape of the gimmick slightly.
That way it never looks the same way twice and looks as if they materialized in a
different configuration each and every time.
As the title implies I use a glass to perform this routine any glass that you are
comfortable with will work. I usually perform this when I am seated with a group of
people and the conversation turns to a magician on TV or the like. I begin by producing
the coin as I explained in Jason's Visual Production. After each coin is produced toss it
into the glass and move onto the next coin production until all four are produced.
Reach forward with your right hand and pick up the glass and lower your left
hand into your lap. Dump the four coins on the table as your left hand retrieves the four
coin gaff and holds it in finger palm in your left hand. Pick up the first coin and perform
my Multiplicity Vanish as if you had nothing in your left hand after the last of the four
coins is placed inside the left opens disclosing what appears to be four coins on your left
fingers in reality it is the four coin gaff.
Bring this hand forward and set your right hand into your lap for a moment and
push the four coins to classic palm. The right hand will once again take hold of the glass
so that the mouth of the glass is directly under the coins in classic palm.
The left is going to slowly close around the four coins as the right hand moves
forward with the glass. After a pause let the first coin fall from classic palm into the glass
at this moment the left lets the gaff fall into your lap. Continue to drop coins from your
right palm until all are inside.
 During this production your left hand is moving forward again to show all the
coins gone. Make a palm up gesture with your left hand as you shake the glass to show
that they are inside. During this moment your left dips back to your lap and finger palms
the four coin gaff and comes up to take the glass from your right hand.
When the glass is taken the left hand basically presses the gaff to the bottom of
the glass and holds on the palm up left hand. The glass is tipped over onto the right hand
where it catches the coins. “When I finish with a trick I can place the coin in my pocket...’
You then look at your right coat pocket and move your hands to place the coin in same.
While this is going on you are going to place the inverted glass on the table with
the gaff setting on top of it. “But when I do the coins appear on top of the glass....” The
right hand is going to finger palm the four coins while it is in your pocket and come back
out with the coins hidden there for the time being.
The left hand slowly lifts the glass form the table to show all that the four coins
have appeared. Two things are going to happen at the same time, the right hand is going
to turn palm up as you toss the stack from the bottom of the glass to the right hand. The
right hand will catch the gaff and loosen its grip on the gaff just a bit; this will cause the
coins hidden in the right hand to clink as the gaff lands in the palm. The right hand turns
palm down and sets the single coins on the table and laps the gaff to finish.
This routine would be easy to make for the stand up performer with a bit of work.
If you have the Topit in your coat that allows you to retrieved tossed items from the
outside pocket then it simple to do.

The Purse Game Division

The following routine is going to use one of the oldest ideas in con games known
as the purse game. I think it is a great technique that is widely over looked these days. It
is very subtle way to switch coins.
In the following routine two silver dollars are placed into a coin purse and held by
a spectator for a second. The performer removes one and only one as he talks about a
portable atom splitter and that it is made to look like a regular coin purse.
The performer takes the purse back and slowly starts to shake it when the one
coin inside begins to rattle as if by “magic”. The spectator is asked to dump the coins on
the table where it is seen that the coin has split into two half dollars. The coin purse and
coins are of course examinable. The two halves are taken and placed into the purse one
more time and given a quick shake this time four quarters fall out onto the table.
The set-up is simple enough you will need two silver dollars; two halve dollars,
four quarters, and a coin purse. The coin purse is the type with the clasp top that holds it
shut. Place the two silver dollars into the coin purse and finger palm the two half dollars
in your right hand.
Hand a spectator the purse and ask them to remove the two coins from the purse
as you talk about your new magic coin splitter or something to that effect. Take the two
silver dollars with your right hand fingertips and begin to turn your hand over palm up.
When the hand is almost turned up you are going to let the coins fall onto the coins, half
dollars, hidden in finger palm. It will look as if you have only the two silver dollars in
your palm as the halves will be held under them for now.
Pick up the coin purse and hold it so that you can place the coins inside of it.
Placing the coins is done by levering the four coins up from your right palm making sure
the coins, half dollars, stay hidden behind the silver dollars. The purse is going to be held
in the left hands so it is lying on the palm. You will curl the left fingers just a little bit
creating a space between the purse and fingers this will allow a coin to be placed there in
a few moments.
The right hand is going to hold the coins so that one of the silver dollars is being
held with its face on the tips of your finger and the half dollars facing the thumb. The
coins are going to be dropped into the coin purse or at least that is what it looks like,
really one of the silver dollars is going to go in the space made by your left fingers.
Hold the purse mouth upward so you can drop coins into from above being sure
you maintain the hollow cavity with your left fingers. Hold the coin stack above purse
opening so that you can seemingly drop them inside. What will really happen is that the
three back coins will drop inside and the front dollar will be pushed into the cavity at the
front of the purse.
To do this you will simply pull the coin at your fingers slightly back into the palm
of your right hand. The three coins behind this one are going to go into your coin purse as
they do allow the frame of the purse to become wedged between the front coin and rear
three. As soon as the front coin is overlapping the frame you can drop all the coins at
once. You do not call attention to this you just do it and let your audience draw their own
conclusions as to what is happening.
Snap the coin purse shut and open out the left hand flat. There will be a coin
hidden under the coin purse on the left hand. You are going to toss the coin purse to the
right hand letting the coin go with it. This is done with a slight upward and right toss that
keeps the coin under the purse as it drops. With just a bit of practice this is easy to
accomplish and sells the fact the coin purse is all by itself on your left hand.
The silver dollar under the purse should be caught in your finger palm position in
your right hand. The right then tosses the purse to the table retaining the finger palmed
silver dollar. “You see I carry the coins in the purse to demonstrate this little miracle of
modern day magic....”
Pick up the coin purse and remove the silver dollar from inside with your right
hand and place it into your coat pocket along with the finger palmed coin. Shake the coin
purse while pressing against the coins to make them silent. After a few seconds loosen
your grip and allow the coin to talk just a bit. Ask the spectator to open their hand so you
can dump the coins onto it. Place the coin purse into your pants pocket for the time being
and let your spectator examine the coins. .
You are going to pause here for a few moments as if the coin trick were over.
The next step is to steal the four quarters from your pocket as you remove the coin purse.
They are going to be held in finger palm and hidden under the coin purse as it is removed
from your pocket.
Place the coin purse in your left hand and take the two half dollars in your right
hand and perform the same switch procedure that you did with the silver dollar. The right
hand displays the two fifty cents pieces on your palm with the quarters underneath. This
is going to be a quick flash and all the coins are dumped into the purse. “I have never
done this with two coins but perhaps we could...”
Remove the two coins and show them one more time and dump them back into your coin
purse. In reality you dump them into that space between the purse and your left fingers.
Toss the purse into left hand and once again catch the coins in left finger palm. Drop the
coin purse on your spectators hand with a slight snap and ask them to open it. They will
now find four quarters to end.
From here you could go into a routine I like to call Matrix Fusion. It is a version of a
routine by Mike Powers he called Quarter Fusion but as the tile says it has no gaffs.

Matrix Fusion
To do the routine you will simply need three coins; 2 half dollars, a silver dollar,
and a card case with a deck of cards inside. The case will have the plastic still intact after
opening a brand new deck. Slide the silver dollar into the plastic so that it is on the side
which looks like the back of the card; this is placed into your right coat pocket. The two
half dollars are finger palmed in your left hand ready to be switched in moments.
Tell the audience that you need to borrow four quarters for your next routine.
Place the coins at the tip of your right hand in a fan for a moment. You will apparently
toss the four coins into your left hand but as you do hold two of the coins back using your
ring finger and pinky.
These two coins will drop into your left hand onto the hidden half dollars which
are in your left hand. You will be sure to open your left just enough to catch the coins but
not enough that your spectator can see the half dollars. A small flash won’t hurt as they
are all silver.
Go to your pocket to remove the card box but do so in such a way the coin hidden
in the plastic is out of sight. While in this pocket you can let the two quarters go so they
fall to the bottom of your pocket.
Hand the box to a spectator with bottom so the coin slides from the plastic wrap
into your right finger palm. This is really an easy thing to do and really is not a move it
just happens. During this you will hold the four coins in your left hand in a loose fist.
You can give them a jingle once or twice as if it were just a habit.
Ask the spectator to open the box and hand you the top four cards. Place them in
the familiar matrix position so the long sides of the cards are toward you. Lift up the
inside right card so you can slip a coin under it; the edge closest to the spectator should
still touch the table or mat.
Place one of the fifty cent pieces on the mat and let the card fall. Do the same
thing with the outside right card so now you will have two quarters inside your left hand.
Lift the outside left card and place a quarter under it. Do the same with the inside left and
pause for a moment. The spectator should believe that a quarter is under each of the
cards.
Perform the normal matrix pick up making the quarter closest to you vanish and
disclosing the half dollar closest as well. To the audience what has happened is the coin
traveled across and melted into one coin, a half dollar. Place the card aside with the
quarter under it and drop the second card onto this as well.
Perform the same move with the second quarter and half dollar. This time you
will load the silver dollar under the card as you pick up and show the half dollar. For
those in the know it is loaded with a standard load while flipping the card over the coin
which is fingertip rest position.
You are going to steal the inside half dollar as you cover the two coins and load
the silver dollar next to the half dollar at the front of your pad. The steal of the inside
half dollar is simple and goes as follows; Set the card with the dollar onto the half dollar
at the front. This is done with your left hand while your right hand covers the back half
dollar. Your arm will give the cover needed to steal the coin from under the card and
classic palm it.
I am not going to go into mechanics of the steal as there are none your fingers clip
the coin and curl into take it. If this is unclear go get your copy of Bobo’s coin magic. All
that is left is to do the snap steal to make the half travel to the front and turn into the
silver dollar. The left hand will then steal the half dollar from the front of its card and
classic palm it as the card is set aside.

Coins and a Card Box

You will need to construct a simple prop made from a card box. This is really a
simple idea but it plays well when it is finished. The effect is simple four silver dollars
travel one by one to an empty card case that is sitting on the table.
The way I used to perform the routine was as follows; I would open the case and
remove the cards, the case would vanish from my hand. This was a simple vanishing card
box which was made from a card box. It is an old idea but I am not sure where it started
but most of us know it because it is such an old method.
I would then produce the empty box from my pocket, this was my gaffed case
which I am about to explain. I would then produce the coins from a coin purse and make
them fly one at a time to the box and then the deck that I placed into my pocket earlier
would appear back in the card case.
To construct the card case you will hold the box toward you so when the box is
open the flap is pointing to the left. It should also be on the opposite side of the box from
you. This means when you open it you are opening the flap away from you.
Make a slit in the box along the bottom corner of the card case so that a piece of
card can be inserted later. You are going to do the same with the small end of the box as
these will be the holes which you are going to anchor a “gutter” to later in the
construction. The Gutter is going to allow you to cleanly dump a coin out of the box into
a spectators hand during the routine.
The nice thing about this is that you will hold the box at the very tips of your fingers as
the coins roll from the box one by one. When the coins roll into the spectators hand there
are no real moves to give it away.
 You will need two cases to make this but one will be an old case which you do
not need anymore. You will also need a sharp knife, glue and a bit of patients. Begin with
the junk case in hand you will cut along the white borders around the sides of the case so
that you have about ¾ of the sides.
You are going to make slits in the working case and tabs in the junk case. The
tabs and the slits will line up so it can be inserted and glued into place. The face of the
junk case is going to be trimmed so that a half inch of border is used to hold the coin. The
corner is trimmed so when the case is held perpendicular to the floor the coin will not fall
out.
When you are finished the coin will slide down the gutter when the case is tipped
mouth down. You will also note that when there is a coin inside the box and one in the
gutter and the case is tipped the coins appear to fall from the same place and that is three
inches from your hand. Another nice subtlety is that the flap of the box will move as the
coins strike them. When the coin comes from the empty card case and it is the only one it
will do the same thing making it really appear to come from the inside of the box.
The routine would be very simple using just a one ahead with the coins as you
vanish the coins they appear inside the card box one by one. You tip the coins into a
spectators hand as they seem to appear in the box one at a time. Of course you will load a
coin secretly behind the card case where it is trapped by the gutter that runs around the
two sides.

Portal Coin
This is an idea that I have used for a long time, it takes its cue from the coin in
bottle. The magician borrows a pack of cigarettes from a spectator and pulls the plastic
half off of the pack. He then lights a cigarette and melts a small hole through the plastic
to show how he can make smoke rings by pressing on the plastic. He relates how he can
do one other weird thing and cause a signed coin to pass through the tiny little hole in the
package. The package is handed out for immediate examination.
There is one thing I would like to touch on first, you can do this with a borrowed
pack of cigarettes or your deck of cards. There is a small handling change for them
depending on which you choose to do. I will begin by demonstrating with a borrowed
pack of cigarettes then amend it so that you can do it with the deck. The handling does
not have to be different but the second handling makes it a bit easier to carry in your
pocket.
You will need to prepare a penny before you approach your willing volunteer this
is easy to do as it only requires that you mark the tails side of the coin with your initials
in such a way that you can duplicate it later. This coin will be held in finger palm as you
start the routine.
Borrow a pack of cigarettes and place them onto the coin so the bottom of the
pack is facing the spectator. The coin will be loaded under the pack. This is not a move
you simply lay the pack on the coin so that the initials are facing the pack. The opening
of the box should be away from you as you will remove a cigarette in a moment.
Ask for the loan of a penny in the following manner “Do you have any change
…”? Have them bring out a hand full of coins. Reach into the hand and remove any one
of the pennies and set it onto the pack of cigarettes. As you go to your pocket for a
marker and ask them if they would be so kind as to write their initials on the face of the
coin.
After they complete this task you will take the coin in your right hand and once
again place it onto the pack and write your initials on the tails side of the coin. You are
going to switch the coin out using the pack in the following manner.
Hold the pack of cigarettes on your outstretched left hand with the signed coin on
the top of it. The bottom of the pack should be pointing toward your spectator so that you
can grasp the case from one of its long sides in a moment. Bring your right hand down
onto the top of the pack so your fingers are on top and your thumb can be slid under the
bottom of the case. Your fingers will trap the signed coin to the top of the pack.
Lift the case upward so that it hinges up from the right hand side using the left
long side almost as if it were hinged to your palm. Rotate your right hand inward toward
yourself so the top of the pack is now pointing into the air. As the pack is lifted you will
bring your left hand down to the table and allow the penny to slide from fingers onto the
table.
Tilt your right hand palm upward so the top of the case is now pointing away
from you. Place the case back onto your left hand. When you set onto your right hand the
coin should be left under it on your palm trapped between your fingers and cigarette case.
Flip the case open and pull a cigarette from it.
You can light the cigarette or have a spectator light it; your left hand and your
right are going to spin the pack so the bottom is facing away from you and push the
plastic wrap down so it is hanging half way off of the pack. At the same time you will
push the signed coin so it is about half way under the plastic.
Use the lit cigarette to burn a hole through the center of the plastic wrap. This will
be in the top of layer of the cellophane. Ask the spectator to blow a puff of smoke
through the hole that was just melted through. “I am going to show you a miracle, which
is so crazy you will not believe your eyes….!
Use your right hand to flick the bottom of the plastic slightly; this will cause a
smoke ring to float out of the pack. Look up and say “that is amazing ….! Usually the
spectator will look at you like you’re crazy at this point and that is Ok because they
would only be half right.
Take the pack in your right hand and pick up the coin in the left hand you are
going to perform a move invented by Dave Williamson Known as the Striking Vanish.
The dummy coin will be caught in the right hand and the coin loaded in the plastic will
fall into the plastic wrap. This is done by allowing the coin hidden under the pack to be
released as you catch the coin which is propelled into your right hand fr4om your left
during the vanish.
The one thing you must remember is to hold the plastic onto the pack so it does
not fall off during the striking vanish. Place the pack onto your left hand leaving the
dummy coin in your right hand. Show the plastic all around so the initials can be seen
then have the spectator hold out their hand and shake the plastic off of the pack onto the
spectator’s palm. It will land on the palm with the coin inside and they may remove the
coin.
I do not usually remove the plastic at this point, rather I will shake the penny to
the bottom of the cellophane and push it back onto the pack so the initials can be seen at
the bottom of the pack. This leaves them with a small magical souvenir of your visit one
which they love to show people.
When I did this with a pack of cards I burn the hole through the plastic and load a
half dollar in the opposite side. I show the coin and ask that they sign the face of it and
once again I sign the tails side. I take the coin in my left hand and tilt the pack in such a
way that allows the coin to slide from the pack into my right hand. I then place the pack
down on the coin and pull the right hand out from under the pack.
I immediately pull the plastic away from the end of the card case. I then slide the
real signed coin slightly under the plastic as I draw attention to the hole which I burned
through before the performance. From here on out the handling is all the same, I usually
do not perform the smoke ring with a pack of cards as it makes less sense.
The logic behind this is simple you burn a hole for a coin to pass through in the
pack. The smoke ring is really a way to show the hole is real before passing the coin
through it. By having the spectator blow smoke through the hole it really shows the hole
is real and not some clever gimmick only a magician would carry.
The nice thing about this is you leave them with everything at the end of the
routine so they have a great piece of magic to show all of their friends. You may notice
right away that you can turn the pack over so the hole is downward, this would make
more sense in the flow of the effect. So my advice is this, go ahead and do it!

Made in China

This is not a routine but an opening joke for your coin routines. It is very simple
to do by removing four stickers from the back of products you buy which say “Made in
China”. You will then affix them to the tails side of your coins. Place the coins on the
table in a manner that will allow the stickers to be hidden from sight. You will now give
the following patter

“I have found a new low in outsourcing; it really is a sign of the times. You see the
coins on the table look like old coins but they are not in fact they are only a few weeks
old despite the dates on them. You see our government has decided to put all the old
coins we used to have back in circulation. To save money in the manufacturing process
they have outsourced the project you see these are made in China now….”

You then turn the coins over and let them read the stickers. One of the things I
like about this is if you use old coins in your act it appears that you use the old coins just
for this gag. It makes the use of them make a bit more sense. You can take this a bit
further by placing different countries on the coin. You could place China on your silver
coin and Pakistan on the copper coin.
These stickers are easy to come by as everything in this country is made in China or
Pakistan etc.
 My random thoughts on coin magic; really I have none. I find that if you set
limitations to what you can do you begin to think in those parameters. I think it is
important to believe that you can do anything. This is not to say that you go into some
weird bizarre state where you cannot separate fantasy from reality. But when you produce
a coin you should view it as if you are seeing yourself do it like it was the first time. So
many magicians perform coin magic and never see the wonder for themselves. Doug
Henning was a perfect example of this and made you think as if he was seeing the paper
reform into its un-torn state for the first time…every time.
I think too many people do their coin magic to fast taking on a hurried look. This
is not to say this is not magical to an audience but I think they should be given time to
comprehend what is happening. It has become the trend to hit a group with as many final
loads as possible in any given routine. I think if you drop the coin in your hand and
slowly open it showing it gone is more magical than if you throw it in there and move
right on to the next effect.
I try to make my coins vanish and appear as if every time it where the event of the
day. The best way I have found to this is to almost believe it yourself look at your hand
as you would if you were lighting a fire cracker off in your hand. Give the impression
that the coin is going to do something but you are not sure what it is. You place a coin in
your left hand and stare it for a second or two then look up to see if everyone is watching
and say “do not take your eyes off of my hand in a moment you will see something very
startling…” Open your hands after yet a few more seconds.
As you can see you are trying to build anticipation for what is about to happen.
After you rub your fingers together look closely at your hand as if you are really startled
yourself but do not over do it. Look intently at your hand flip it over as if you are looking
for the coin yourself.
This is a gesture I see a lot of people doing that really make little sense; they show
the coin gone then flip their hands over and over then over a few more times just to show
the hands completely empty as if to over prove what has happened. To me it is better to
do this for just the first vanish and look at it as if you can hardly believe the coin is gone
and you are looking for the coin as well. This will also widen the time it takes before they
look at your other hand as that is what everyone does when they see your hand empty.
By doing this you are creating more conviction as to what they are seeing as being
reality. After the first vanish you should not spend as much time looking your hands over
and with each coin this time will become less and less. Until you are at your last coin not
doing it at all. This will take time to make the routine flow as you go from coin to coin.
Depending on the amount of coins you are using. When using only one coin you will
have no other chance to lower your own expectations but if using four coins you will
slowly let it go.
Making coins appear is the same exact thing the first one should almost take you
by surprise. When it appears in your hand you should look up with an expression on your
face as if to say “Wow did you see that..?That is something you do not see everyday…’’
Most audience will not go for this if you produce 10 coins and do this throughout the
routine. So doing this the first time sets the stage for the audience and tells them that what
is going on doesn’t happen very often.
The nice thing about this is you can revisit this technique at anytime. If you are
producing say ten coins when you get to the last coin you can hold it and look at it as if
you are not sure where they are coming from as you scratch your head. Then drop it into
the wine glass and shake your head again as if you do not believe how easy it was all
along.
In essence I am saying you should act as if you believe what is going on here even
for a second or two before you go onto a radical sequence of vanishes and productions. I
do not ask nor do I expect an audience to believe what I am doing is real but people do
not believe a movie is really happening either. This does not stop them from becoming
involved in the action on the screen and this idea of course could be applied to coin
magic or all magic for that matter.
In essence that is really what you are doing is performing a short play about a
magician who can do really cool things with coins and cards etc. So you owe the
audience to perform this to the best of your ability.
One last thing I would like to talk about is the use of smash finishes in coin
routines this could be anything from the coin bracelet to the production of jumbo coins.
Use them sparingly as they make the rest of the magic less powerful. If you perform a
climax to every routine an audience will see them coming after a while they will see the
moment the jumbo coin will make its appearance and it will become an OH! Hum type
thing.
The idea is very simple keep the audience guessing at all times about everything
happening. If the audience starts guessing what is coming you have lost a lot of if not all
of the surprise. Sometime a routine has its own finish for a lay audience and you do not
realize it because you think how I can send them over the edge by making this giant coin
appear in their pants. This is really not necessary, take the coin production earlier with
the mirror. You produce two coins one at a time then for the closer you do two at a time.
This may seem like it is not that big of a finish but if you have just produce a thousand
jumbo coins it is time to take on a bit of magic with less punch and more skill.
Remember that a lay audience does not see this kind of thing all the time and some like
the puzzlement of not being able to see where the coin is really coming from. You will
also notice that the strongest tricks you can do are straight and to the point and do not
have smash climaxes at all, which is simply because the trick is the smash climax.
The Hot Rod is a very common prop that illustrates this it has no smash climax
ending but it plays very well for adults and children. If you do not believe this try doing
the thing for a dozen people and asking which trick was the best of all you did for them.
You might be surprised to find the answer is not what you think. You may find that you
knocked yourself out with all those great routines and all they can talk about is the Hot
Rod.
Why? Simple it takes them by surprise in a bit of a different way than most would
really recognize. It is its own smash climax there is no twist, turns, double lifts, and
classic palms which confuse a group. It leaves them without having to compare the
ending to another and putting them in a position to forget the first ending to a trick.
Think of it this way a group will remember that which strikes them and is most
remarkable to them. When doing the cups and balls you never hear anyone tell the
sequence of the balls journey, instead you hear “he did some stuff with some balls and
when he lifted the cup the last time there were lemons under them...It was the most
amazing thing, and I was watching so closely and did not see those lemons get under
there”.
 In a nutshell I am saying if you want people to remember the magic you do not
over shadow it with a thousand jumbo coins because that is all you will be remembered
for but if that is what you want then proceed with it as you see fit.
These are the things I find work for me and should be in no way taken as the last
words on the subject. You will find thousands of places where advice is plentiful by more
knowledgeable people than me and you would do well to look them up.

© J. Burke Whittaker 1991-2018 all rights reserved