I've been working with the basics of palming coins and vanishes for the last couple of weeks, and I think I have a grip (pun) on the situation. I feel I am ready to tackle palming multiple coins, and was looking for recommendations on which palms would be best to learn first. I am thinking either the classic, or the Downs for multiple coins..

Practice the classic palm. It's the most used in routines for palming several coins. Practice holding them in place, and then letting them go, silenty one at at time.

Once you've got that learnt, start to practice loading a coin in classic palm one at a time. It doesn't matter how much noise you make, as long as they're in a good classic palm.

Stack or Fan?

To drop them one at a time by relaxing your palm, they need to be in a stack.

To reach up and pull them out with your fingertips, it is often easier to have them in a fan.

I do give some input on palming multiple coins in my classic palm essay in the foundations section of my website (link below).

Dan

Try the multi coin angle palming technique on the Encyclopedia of Coin Sleights series, or the Bronx take from the Knockout Coin magic series. Good luck, Michael Rubinstein

No one has mentioned the Edge Grip or Edge Palm. This can be found in The Amateur Magicians Handbook. Downs used to use this a lot. There is also a nice routine to go along with it in the book.

Blurr

with a couple of weeks of practice?Wow...

If you really have those down, go for the classic palm with 2 coins, then 3, then 4, etc. If you're going to do an effect where you need to drop 4 coins one a time, I think you should be able to do it with 5 or 6 coins.
Good luck with the palms.
Best Regards

When palming multiple coins, it can get quite frustrating to learn how to release one at a time. I started out with 4 half dollars and kept trying and trying, I could release the first coin in the stack with no problem, as well as the 3rd and 4th, but when I tried to release the second coin (second coin to drop) I would always drop 2 coins at the same time, leaving one left in classic palm...

I fixed this problem with a lot of practice, but there is an easier way if you are just starting out.. when you have multiple coins palmed and you are trying to release one at a time, bend in your middle finger and slide the top coin back towards your wrist a bit(the first coin to be released) only about a quarter of an inch, then when you relax your palm to release, it will release this coin only due to the fact that you are holding the outer most edge of the remaining coins and have less of a grip on the one slid back, kind of hard to explain, but give it a shot you will know what I mean once you try it. Then you can practice sliding it back a shorter distance over time, and finally train your muscles to release them one at a time without sliding them at all..

Good luck, and if you're looking for some excellent routines involving palming multiple coins, check out David Stone's videos..

Later,
Tom Defrange

Well I've been using the classic palm for several years (or at least a wrong variation of it). A few weeks ago I decided to expand into coin magic so I got Bobo's Big Book. And have been studying the first three chapters, as I hear it's a good idea to get the basics before moving on..

Classic palm multiple coins and then practice something like Rollover Coins where you keep turning a playing card over to reveal coins one at a time.

Great practice for releasing coins singly.

Classic palming is a constant practice thing. I think, develop a technique that is comfortable, and slowly develop the strength and muscles over time you will be able to handle several coins.
I have developed this technique, and have found it to be one of the strongest things in my arsenal of sleights.
The main thing is when classic palming several coins, is to keep your hand in a natural looking state.

Geoff, I am not familiar with 'Rollover Coins". Can you describe the gist of it or let me know where it is written up.? I always like to practice sleights with an effect in mind. Thanks.

I think it is a mistake to think that great coin magic always depends on the classic palm. I used to do a 30 minute coin show at conventions without one classic palm, so it is possible to do coin magic if you are not a great classic palmer. I recently taught a few to a local magician that has a scar in his palm that precludes classic palming for him. The classic palm is wonderful, but there are lots of other techniques.

I must say that Reed is quite good with his palming of multiple coins. Another PDX'r that rocks with this particular task is Jim Pace. He got most of us started on this stuff. I highly reccomend his video "Trick from my lecture." It is INCREDIBLE. Everything on there is geared for the walk-around magician working tables. It has cards, coins, ropes, and even a trick wioth a napkin. This video is awesome, plus Jim fools the pants off of you.

Corey B.

Should I be practicing loading one at a time, or loading all at once, or both? Also, I'm having some dificulty removing the coins one at a time with my finger tips. Dropping coins one at a time seems a lot easier. Any tips (pun) for using my finger tips.

You might want to check out David Stones site. He has a snipit from one of his sets of lecture notes that talks about building up your hand muscles and how to go about doing it.

Corey B.

As far as your finger tips go, all you can really do is practice.