Impromptu Coin Magic

[MagicbyAlfred]

Based on the years I've been a member of this esteemed forum, my sense (well, what little I have) is that card magic is the most popular branch of close-up magic with the members here. Of course, I'm speaking in generalities, because while there are there those of us who perform predominantly, or almost exclusively, card magic, some of us are specialists with coins, and there are still others who have a varied repertoire of close up tricks that extends well beyond just cards, or coins, for that matter. And clearly, there's no wrong or right, except what's right for each of us individually, because, presumably, we're in this game for the sheer joy of it.

While cards happen to be my first love in the realm of close-up magic, I must say that when I started getting into some coin magic, I found it highly captivating and, well, just plain fun. I found that laymen really enjoy watching it too -- that is, as long as it's got some engaging patter or a story or something, and not just the abysmal, stereotypical descriptive patter (You know, inspired commentary such as, "Watch, coin number two goes into my hand, and all I have to do is squeeze like this, and the coin has gone across to join coin number one in the other hand. Two coins have now gone across. Watch the third coin, etc."). I was as guilty of this kind of presentation as anyone until I finally realized I would rather make up the craziest or most far-fetched plot, story, or even fairy tale, around my coin magic, than to ever go back to the doldrums and banalities of narrating actions which are perfectly obvious to the onlookers, thus insulting their intelligence, or worse yet, boring them. But that could be a whole separate topic.

Meanwhile, let me get to the point of this topic: Impromptu Coin Magic. You are in a restaurant, or at a party, or at a friend or family member's house, or you have friends or family visiting you -- wherever. You don't have your Morgan Silver Dollars, or your Kennedy or Walking Liberty halves; you left home (damn it!) without your Scotch and Soda, or Hopping Half, or Silver Copper Brass Transposition, or any of the other innumerable gaffed coins out there. God forbid, you don't have a single shell on you. But you do have, or at least have access to, a bunch of quarters or other coins (e.g. pennies), or whatever the common coins of the realm in your country might be.

What would be your favorite trick (or tricks) to perform impromptu for someone with an ordinary coin or coins?

[J-Mac]

Take a look at Gerald Deutch's Perverse Magic thread here on this forum. One example is the Progressive Coin Production. It uses borrowed quarters, which by the way will be your coins of choice if doing true impromptu coin work without your usual coins.

Jim

[magicfish]

Going, going, gniog by Milt Kort.

[Michael Rubinstein]

Most routines done with ungimmicked coins can be done with borrowed quarters. There are many routines like this in Rubinstein Coin Magic. Here are a few routines that I recently recorded that (although done with half dollars here) can be performed with borrowed coins.
https://youtu.be/Zzmik83QFHE
https://youtu.be/swHd3gqtU6I

[Ian Kendall]

Flame bait: The purest magic effect possible is the vanish of a single coin. And, possibly, its return.

Having a good one coin routine in your repertoire is a lifesaver. I made a lesson on this a couple of years ago, but there are a few references out there. The important bit is to make the routine fit _you_, which is why many of the published routines often feel flat in anyone else's hands; they are great for the creator, but not _necessarily_ for everyone else.

[Anthony Vinson]

Define coin magic. For me, Tomoyuki Takahashi's Fading Coin is a definite go-to under the circumstances you describe. As is David Parr's Proof Positive. But are they coin tricks? I think so, since they use coins, but am not certain that they fit the OP's definition. Then there is Gregory Wilson's A Questionable Trick - definitely a coin trick by any definition, and an excellent impromptu miracle to boot.

[Richard Kaufman]

I was just going to mention Takahashi's brilliant trick!

Jennings handling of the "22 Cent Trick" is great. Just needs dimes.

[MagicbyAlfred]

Flame bait: The purest magic effect possible is the vanish of a single coin.

I think there is really something to that. Also, among the most impressive to a lay person -- especially a complete vanish. And I believe it is because many people, if not most, primarily associate magic with making something disappear.

[Tom Gilbert]

Tenkai Pennies.

[MagicbyAlfred]

Tenkai Pennies.

It is very deceptive. I wish I could back-palm a coin, but I couldn't to save my life.

Here is the incomparable Daryl's presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aKoZfnsRcg

[Bill Duncan]

John Carney's or Sol Stone's versions of Right There to vanish and reproduce a quarter. If I'm entirely unprepared. Coin through pocket if I have a couple of quarters on me. And Tenkai pennies of course, own Psychological Coins Across if I can get four quarters. Maybe "No Extras" if there's a soft surface to work on.

But it sort of begs the question of why you would not be prepared? Right now my "everyday carry" would include Paul Wilson's Quarter Pounder and three other quarters. I can do three minutes with just that, and it takes up less room than my car key.

[MagicbyAlfred]

Most routines done with ungimmicked coins can be done with borrowed quarters. There are many routines like this in Rubinstein Coin Magic. Here are a few routines that I recently recorded that (although done with half dollars here) can be performed with borrowed coins.
https://youtu.be/Zzmik83QFHE
https://youtu.be/swHd3gqtU6I

I wholeheartedly agree, Michael. Thank you for sharing those videos and it is a pleasure to be able to benefit from your experience and expertise on coins here on this Forum.

[Jon Elion]

And anyone who doesn't have Rubinstein's Coin Magic yet should drop everything and order a copy from him right now. It is a truly amazing labor of love, the result of a lifetime of work in the field and will give you a lifetime of fun things to work on. Sorry I waited so long to get my copy; I am trying to make up for lost time!

[Jack Shalom]

Then there is Gregory Wilson's A Questionable Trick - definitely a coin trick by any definition, and an excellent impromptu miracle to boot.

Yes, this and Greg's 3/4 Across are my two go-to coin tricks.

[Spellbinder]

If we can assume that in addition to being able to use ungimmicked coins (I prefer quarters but can use smaller coins) that you either have in your pocket or can borrow, you should, if you're a performing magician, always have some business cards in your wallet or a card case. With that as a minimum, you would then be able to perform Qua-Fiki's "Matrix-Mix" from the Wizards' Journal #23-01.
https://www.magicnook.com/WizJ23/wizj23-01-Matrix-Mix.htm

[MagicbyAlfred]

Here are some of my favorite impromptu tricks using ordinary coins. Some require a table; others don’t:

No Table Required:
1. The Complete Vanish of a quarter that a spectator places into my hand, and which the hand slowly and unmistakably closes upon. (To the best of my knowledge, I came up with the method/handling for it, but who knows?)

2. "Hypnotizing" a spectator so that they have the magical power to correctly call a quarter heads or tails every time it is flipped in the air. (I recently learned the method enabling me to do this trick after Jack Shalom kindly pointed out on this Forum that it could be found in (of all places) Magic for Dummies).

Table Required
1. Coins Through Table using 6 coins and my finger ring. For this, I made up a fairy tale about 6 friends - young boys who lived in a village many years ago. After foolishly wandering into the Enchanted Forest, they encounter an evil witch. Three of the boys are placed under the witch’s spell and are locked in a room in the upstairs of a haunted house. The entrance to the room is guarded by the witch’s ferocious 2-headed dog (Fluffy). A kindly magician (named Alfred) appears to the other three boys in the forest and tells them where their friends are. He gives them a powerful magic ring, saying that it will protect them and enable them to do magic. The boys walk into the haunted house and hear their friends banging on the ceiling up above in the attic. Through the power of the ring, the 3 captives are freed, magically passing through the ceiling, and are reunited with their friends below. (Yes, believe it or not, this goes over as well for adults as it does for kids).

2. A version of the old Thieves and Sheep trick. It’s self-working, but entertaining and surprisingly strong. I try to spice it up with some comedy lines and gags. (Probably the most widely known iteration of this trick is the Milt Kort/Stewart James version that appears in Bobo).