New Presentations & Considerations for Redesigned US Money

[magicbar]

With all the revisions to US currency in both coins and paper are any of you running into new restrictions, freedoms, considerations and such in your money magic repertoire or performances? I find that having a duplicate quarter or $20 bill is harder to have yet due to all the design changes it lends itself to possible new plots. I know using 'old coins' has its plot possibilities and some state quarters may lend themselves to plots - e.g., the 'Show-me' state (show me what? show your this! or The Silver state to do silver extraction, etc...) I had to hold off on some methods that used some larger bills due to the design variations. Anyone else dealing with this?

[Lemniscate]

For coins, I tend to carry a "non-State" quarter and a "State" quarter. Generally speaking, I select from the face-up coins in any situation, which may indicate State versus non-State quarter, but not much else (like which State). As such, I am generally unaffected by the numerous state coins.

I have had no issues with new bills as of yet, positive or negative.

The Presidential Dollar coins represent "cards". In the end, there will be 40+ different ones with identical backs but with a subtle marking (etchings on side). I've used some three-card monte type stuff with them, but still playing.

Just a couple of ideas...

[castawaydave]

Speaking of currency redesign, here's an article we found earlier this morning:

http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_court_r ... 02008.html

[Jonathan Townsend]

So now the one will be smaller than the five but the ten will be half the size of the five and the twenty will be half smaller than the ten but the fifty will be twice the size of a five and the hundred will be a metal coin about the size of a quarter.

Okay?

Not sure about the colorized portraits - too easy to add extra color to the cheeks and they start looking like Ms Slowcomb from Are You Being Served?

[magicbar]

In another view the variations may add to the effectiveness of magic because many specs may not think that 'trick/prop' money has been developed for the recently revised currency nor could the performer be ready for the many variants being offered by the spec for use in the effect.

Also what about the design/construction issues of gaffed coins for cig thru quarter or shells? Am I reading too much into this?

[Jonathan Townsend]

It may be that some of us fuss over the props to the extent that what should seem precious as money or a collector's item is somehow seen as fragile.

As far as I know the new coins still have rims even if not milled edges - so not likely to require a drastic redesign for some gaffs and the cig thru quarter gaff does not rely so much upon a coin's rim as its density of detail on the side facing the audience ;)