I was playing around with some small stones the other day, practicing coin manipulations with them, as they were about the size of half dollars. I worked out this simple routine, and then tried it out today with actual coins...it seemed to work OK.

I was just wondering if this had been done before, so I'm posting a vague handling here. Anyone who would know if it was done before should be able to reconstruct it from what I describe, and hopefully it won't be too much info for the public forum.

So...

You have three coins, and you show them. On the offbeat, while talking to a spectator, ditch one of the coins. Alternatively, you could have two coins to start out with and false count them.

Toss the coins back and forth, and tell the spec they are going to jump from one hand to another. Feel free to add other patter motivations here.

End with both coins (supposedly three) in your left hand, with your hand closed. Show your right hand empty, and close it. Make your magical gesture, and open your left hand to show only two coins. Close your left hand, working the coin into a sort of heel grip as you turn it face down. Turn your right hand palm down and open it, as you drop the left hand clipped coin.

Pick up the single coin from the table, and close your right hand around it. Make the magical gesture again, and show that another coin has disappeared from your left hand. Again, heel clip the coin, and drop it when you open your right hand to show that the coin has "moved".

Pick up the two coins again in the right hand, magical gesture again, and show that the last coin has vanished.

So far, for the end all I've come up with is to fake count the coins into my left hand, and then place them into the pocket.

Pros: The vanishes are kind of cool.

Cons: A bit impractical. The transfer is done when the heat is on the hands. No satisfactory way to end the effect, i.e. you cannot show all three coins.

One idea I had was instead of just using two coins, use a regular half and a flipper. That way, you could easily show one coin as two, and show all three at the end.

Any thoughts on how to perhaps improve this?

Zach

How would you compare your routine to Jay Sankey's published routine?

Well, considering I don't know of Jay Sankey's routine, I can't really say...although, since his is published I would assume that it flows much more nicely than the above.

Where would I find this, and are the handlings pretty close?

Zach

You may want to check his Mexican Jumping Coins in his Revolutionary coin magic video/dvd.

I'm not familiar with the routine either, but the fact that it's published means nothing except that it was published...

-Jim

The one behind type of coins across was made popular by Jay Sankey back in 86 or 87. I recall it as 'Mr Clean Coins Across'. using 'Three' instead of 'Four' is not a huge variation.

The one behind type of coins across was made popular by Jay Sankey back in 86 or 87. I recall it as 'Mr Clean Coins Across'. using 'Three' instead of 'Four' is not a huge variation.

Actually, Mike Ammar made the one behind principle popular long before that...which BTW, he got from me...and Jay got it from Ammar! But all that aside, Zach...have you considered to keep doing it with the stones...sorta' like a history piece on coin magic before coins?

Mike

Um mike...we both probably got that idea from Goeff Latta anyway...

Um mike...we both probably got that idea from Goeff Latta anyway...

Not I Jonathan...matter of fact...I fooled Geoff several times with it!

Mike

Well done Mike.....I still have to hook up with you one of these days....

Ed

Gallo is the one-behind man. And yes, he did fool me. It had to happen once. Nyuk, nyuk.

You can go one-behind like Gallo, not one behind like Roth, use a shell like I did (ref.: "Cosmic Coins Across" or no shell "Thumb Touch Coins Across" "Coinmagic" Richard Kaufman), etc.

Here's a better ending for you. When you ditch, do it under an object on the table (a drink, napkin, pack of smokes, whatever - is it obvious that I do a lot of magic in bars?). Now, when the third coin is supposed to go across, act like it's going to the right hand like the others. Act satisfied that it's happened. Keep the left hand closed and push the coins out of the right hand one at a time. Try to push the third coin out and stop (what you're looking for is "one, two, Huh?!?!?). Open the right hand and look at it with a bit of consternation. Pause. Open the left hand now, more consternation. Then act like you figured it out. "Oh, sorry, overshot." With your hands obviously empty, move the loaded object aside and reveal the last coin. Almost as good as in their hands.

This is even better if there's something different about the loaded coin that's obvious when they're first displayed (a la Leipzig).

Best,

Geoff

Its like a firework display to watch you guys jamming keep it up it is entertaining and useful

As Geoff pointed out, how you set up one trick can affect your options as you continue doing a routine. The basic mechanics of using what you ditch in one trick to set up a production later is VERY powerful.

Thanks for the reminder Geoff Any chance of seeing you in NYC or a lecture anytime soon?

Thanks for the sources...I'll do my best to check them out.

Mike, I might just keep on performing with the stones. The ones outside my house are VERY easy to classic palm, due to the rough edges. It certainly gives it a more un-rehearsed feel.

Geoff, that is an excellent idea. It makes for a memorable ending.



Forgive the coin newbie here, but with the routine above, how could that work? Even though you only have two coins the whole time, the specs believe they are seeing all three, and they would probably be able to tell that the odd one was not in there. Perhaps a sticker on the coin?

Thanks,

Zach

Nice touch Geoff. Doing a 2 coin routine with 3 coins. I reckon the right magician could milk the last coin for quite a lot, since it's super clean.

. The basic mechanics of using what you ditch in one trick to set up a production later is VERY powerful.

It's likie Goshman always said...if ya got it...use it!
Geoff....great ta see ya....got notes yet?

Mike

Zach,

A sticker would work, but a simple gaff (combined with a signed sticker) could make the thing a miracle.

Geoff

I like the idea of using stones.

My friend brought me a flat rock that I used in my nearly normal entry in the IBM Strolling Olympics.

My closing line was "Cleveland Rocks", which was next years(now this years location).

The muscle pass with the rock, led into the above line.

Bad Pun, but it played well.(It was late on the last night of the convention)

Harris