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DeanW New user 9 Posts |
Hi There,
I have been thinking about the pro’s and cons of using English or foreign coins in my routines. I’m in the UK so should I stick to my local currency as it is less suspicious just pulling that out and going into a routine. I personally like silver halves and Morgan’s, as I think that are more interesting and very striking when you pull out a hundred year old Morgan, I feel it just has character and already a story behind it, also more interesting to hand out to spectators for inspection, but am interested in some opinions on this. Cheers Dean |
Mb217 Inner circle 9520 Posts |
Hi Dean, Welcome to the Café.
Basically, use what you like. Here in the U.S., we certainly like our coinage, but typically in coin magic use your coinage in your fabulous English Pennies - We love them! And actually I've never had a spectator question them. We also like to use Chinese coins here. So, if you have a liking of U.S. Morgan dollars, or silver halves, then do YOU, and I'm pretty sure your audiences will love them as well. People will always be a lot more interested in the magic you do "with" the coins than what sort of coins they are. Any supposed suspicion is put to bed by simply letting them examine the coin. Any noticed differences is always a good place to patter along. And as to "impact," really it's not the coins but perhaps it is size that has greater impact. So larger coins are easier to see and give a bit more POP! than smaller coins. I will admit that some coins are perhaps nicer than others but mostly this is as to the magicians personal tastes. The great coin magician, David Roth mostly always uses Kennedy Half dollars in his coin work, and that seems to have done the trick well enough for him, no matter in the U.S., or in the UK or Japan, or wherever. So basically, to each his own…It's not so much what you use but how use it. Again, welcome.
*Check out my latest: Gifts From The Old Country: A Mini-Magic Book, MBs Mini-Lecture on Coin Magic, The MB Tanspo PLUS, MB's Morgan, Copper Silver INC, Double Trouble, FlySki, Crimp Change - REDUX!, and other fine magic at gumroad.com/mb217magic
"Believe in YOU, and you will see the greatest magic that ever was." -Mb |
David Fillary Special user 662 Posts |
What Mb said, but I also think it depends on the the trick and gimmicky-ness of it.
With half dollars/old english pennies, I do routines such as coins across and transpositions. For these I am starting to use gimmicks, but the effects have a certain non-gimmicky feel to them because it is possible for the coins to pass between the hands in some respects. Also, all my routines involve the spectator's hands in some way, so they naturally check out the coins during the routine. They usually find them interesting and I point out that they're bigger than any English coins, which justifies them. If you're using dollars, even more so! However, if you're doing cigarette through quarter or coin in bottle, you really need to use local currency, and for that effect it is best if "borrowed" too. |
DeanW New user 9 Posts |
Hi Mb, thank you for the welcome, and the reply.
As you say, “each to his own”, this is probably the answer to a lot of my questions, but nether the less always like to here other people opinions, I’m going to go with the Liberty halves and Morgan dollars as I just like them, and I just won some on e-bay ☺ Just going to add as you mentioned him, I am currently working my way through Roths ECM, its awesome and so easy to follow. Thank again Dean |
DeanW New user 9 Posts |
Hi David,
I was thinking the same in regards to these tricks, coin in a bottle, cig thru coin, scotch and soda etc.. For these gimmicked effects using local currency I feel will draw less attention to the coin itself, as it will take away some suspicion because the actual type of coin will be well known to them. As for coins across and transpositions the big silver shiny coins defiantly appeal to me. Cheers Dean |
Jonathan Townsend Eternal Order Ossining, NY 27297 Posts |
They tend to care more about the coins you borrow than special coins you produce.
...to all the coins I've dropped here
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MRSharpe Special user Never a dull moment with 940 Posts |
If you are working with Morgan Dollars you should check out Michael Ammar's silver dollars through scarf. Excellent effect. I originally learned it from his newsletter he put out in the late 80's I believe and he may have it as a stand alone product with an appropriate scarf. Check his website for details.
Custom Props Designer and Fabricator as well as Performer from Indiana, USA
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tomsk192 Inner circle 3894 Posts |
I find that the heavier the coin the greater the impact, particularly when thrown with considerable force. You have to weigh up the pleasure of hurling circular chunks of metal at your spectator's groin, with the risk of possible lawsuits. I find that a solid lead ingot, painted gold, can be a devastating weapon when combined with the element of surprise.
That's my approach to audience management, at any rate. You should see my colour changing knives. |
DeanW New user 9 Posts |
Cheers MRSharpe, I will check that out, big fan of Michael Ammar's way of teaching.
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MagicianFromHades New user 43 Posts |
I think using old, foreign coins works well. Personally, I like to use Thai 10 Baht coins, as they are heavy, big, and look pretty cool. Also, discontinued coins work pretty well, since they have a significantly different look than current ones.
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TomWilliams New user London, UK 12 Posts |
This is something that I worried about as well - it's kind of an awkward situation whichever way you go because British coins lack any weight whatsoever, feel cheap, whereas US coins just seem entirely out of place. There's just no plausible reason for someone to be using a Brit to be using 1964 Kennedy Half or whatever. That's not to say it's because people will think they're gaffed, it's all to do with trying to create the illusion of being a 'real' magician rather than a cartoon character.
I would recommend Silver Half Crowns as the best solution to this conundrum. I have a set from 1914 - 1917 and they're perfect for coin magic. Weighty, make a nice sound, all while seeming (relatively) plausible.
Gimme a shout if you're in/near London and want to practice going out and doing some magic for the general public. I'm too chicken to do it on my own.
http://magic.zarrow.co.uk |
trampabroad New user 81 Posts |
Have you tried coins from elsewhere in Europe? IIRC the Swedish kroners have a decent width and weight for coin manipulation, and I don't think they'd be too weird to have on you.
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