The Malini's Coin Game

[Guest]

A few questions to all students of magic. I have "Malini and his Magic" by Dai Vernon. In this excellent book, there a brief description of "Coin Game". I want to know if that game is invented by Malini and in the secret move, the picture are very poor because I don't understand if the coin pinched by the forefinger and thumb, in the picture looks like the coin is trapped by the gems of two fingers, and I believe that the coin rest over the forefinger and the thumb comes over and pinch for realize the secret move for strike the coins.
Thanks for your attention.

[Pete Biro]

Ken Brooke used to do this and believe me it is a sleeper... a great bit. As I recall, when Ken taught it, the coin is balanced on the tip of your forefinger and only the thumb comes into play to hold the coin.

[BrendanK]

Paul Daniels was doing this a s a challenge, in his Malini show in Edinburgh - fleeced the whole audience individually!!
( his ill gotten gains all went to local charity...)

[Guest]

When Paul Daniel's did this in his Malini magic show, he blew the audience away with it. What could be "just a puzzle" became real magic...i am sure this is similar to how Malini performed it.
Great effect,
Owen

[Guest]

Is this the coin trick where you balance a coin on one finger (the little pinkie)and pass the other hand over the coin to make it vanish? Both hands are shown immediately, palm up and empty; I saw Allen Okawa perform this at a lecture, he called it the "Spirit of Malini" because no one really knew how Malini did the effect; According to Allen, the mechanics of the sleight was worked out with Dai Vernon; You can find the method in Allen Okawa's lecture notes: "Standing Room Only"
BWind

[David Alexander]

BWind...no, not that trick. In the "Coin Game," the hand is covered with a handkerchief with the exception of the index finger which is extended. A coin is balanced on that finger.

A spectator, usually a young boy, is instructed to hold another coin on his palm. The object is for the magician to strike the kid's coin with his coin without it being grabbed by the kid.

Manual, "Master of the Mighty Dollar" did the trick as a publicity stunt for newspaper people who often said it was the "greatest display of skill" they'd ever seen.

It takes some nerve and a lot of address (plus a good personality) to make this entertaining, but it is worth the effort.