We all know the classic performances of S&S...Cetavo disappears from hand, Centavo turns into quarter.

I'm curious what other ideas some of you have for this.

One I've got some great reactions with is that after the spectator opens his or her hand, a new hole is burnt through the center of the Centavo.

The questions of "what came before" and "What comes after" are always important. Why are those coins used? How can they be used in a follow up effect?

The "story told after" can be more important the "reaction" -- but it depends on venue and why you are performing.

There are advantages to Bill Palmers gaffless approach as different coins can be used with a repeat and other effects performed with the coins.

I like turning the copper coin into a smaller coin.

You have a half dollar and copper coin, rub the copper coin under the silver coin a couple times. Then finally it changes into s smaller coin.

I really like your idea tho. I might try that, if its cool with you.

The 25 amazing tricks with a SnS, featuring David Hudspath(sp) had a number of novel ideas. Probably the best was a story of a gambler that wrapped a dollar bill around a half dollar and a centavo, the gambler took out one of the coins(the spec openly sees which was pulled out), and the "mark", (you the magi) was to guess what coin was left in the bill. He's wrong each time when on his last guess he just guesses the opposite of what would have seemed logical, but no, the 2'nd coin has now vanished.

It is a nice 3-4 phase close up routine, not only because of the magic, but also because you never make the spectator feel dumb, you are playing the part of guessing wrong repeatedly.

And there are Three Softbound books On It!

Place copper and silver in specs hand, copper vanishes. Take silver and do a complete vanish.

I prefer to use a Chinese coin (with hole in the middle) at the end rather than the American Quarter. Much more shocking and I can tell a story about my travels in America, Mexico and China.

Sometimes I have the spectator(s) hold my wrists as I revolve (coins touching) the copper around the silver slightly off center to not accidently nest the two. I'll ask if the copper coin looks like it's getting bigger. Then unexpectedly, nest the two, and simultaneously turn the nested coins over a few times using both hands to display the half without the copper coin. This gets a big reaction without the use of a quarter.

I second the suggestion for the 25 Tricks DVD.

I do a routine where I make it go through a checkbook. I'm a waiter on the side and it's a great ending to their meal

There's an old, easily obtained book on the dime and Penney gaff. A member of the Café published a book on the sun and moon gaff. Up to you about losing the lock feature of the SnS gaff.

I don't think it is a 'new' idea.... but my favorite trick recently (other than ignition) is to use a coin unique (same as scotch and soda I think) to do a reverse coin through the glass trick.... the larger coin half covers the smaller coin and is covered by a glass.... you tell them to watch the smaller coin and.... BAM! you hit the coins with the glass and the small one dissapears and 'seemingly' jumps right out of the glass into hand above the glass.... always goes down well and I love it too.

I'm partial to the coin unique effect where small coin is placed on beermat which then covers the top of a pint glass, larger coin is placed half over smaller coin and both are then flicked into the spectators hands with only the larger coin arriving and the smaller appearing to penetrate the beer mat and fall into the glass. Any idea what this trick is called please?

Maybe I'm not using it to it's fullest potential... but I just use it for a super clean first phase of a 2 copper 1 silver routine. Start with the 50 cent piece and the centavo in one hand... close your hand... show that the centavo jumped to your other hand. Hand everything out for examination... then you can bring out an english penny and go into a 2 copper 1 silver routine.