Coin tricks require a lot of practice. We all get lazy about practicing in front of the mirror, but frankly it is a tried and tested method of getting your presentation and angles right. In fact, practice perfecting your misdirection moves and you’ve got the technique sorted out. What is misdirection? It’s the art of drawing attention away from the trickery that you are pulling off. It’s a crucial element of the effect you are going to learn now. Practice this magic trick well.

Effect
The magician shows 2 coins on his thigh. He takes one in his right hand and the other in his left hand. The hands are held apart and then CLINK! the coin from the left hand magically passes into the right! It’s so quick it’s super startling. Those gals at the bar are going to be begging you for more.

Requirement
2 identical half dollars with the same amount of sheen. 

Performance 

The Gag
1.Hold a coin on in each of your hands. Your palms up show them to the audience and say that you’re going to do something amazing.

2.You close your palms into fists and jerk them gently. Then ask the audience if they saw it. They’ll look surprised and you say, ‘What, you missed the trick?’ Open your palms, display the coins and say, ‘The coins switched hands… magically!’  They’ll either laugh at your gag and let you do the real trick or they’ll kill you and the real trick won’t matter.

The Real Magic Trick

1.You now place the 2 coins about 6 inches apart on your left thigh. The inner coin (the one closer to you) lies covered by the fingers of the palm up left hand resting on the thigh.

2.Pick up the outermost coin flat by the edge between the fingertips and the thumb of the right hand. Your intention is to show maximum amount of the coin.

3.You will now pretend to put the coin into your left hand while actually retaining in the right hand. You do this by placing the edge of the coin on the left palm and as the fingers of the left hand close in, the fingers of the right hand slide over it, thus covering the coin behind the ends of the fingers.

4.As the left hand closes into a fist, the right hand moves away giving the perfect illusion of the coin being in the left hand.

5.Immediately draw the coin inwards and curl your right hand fingers so that the coin rests on them and your forefinger and thumb are free to pick up the other coin.

6.When your left hand folds into a fist it exposes the coin under it.

7.Now a few things happen together. Raise your left fist and blow into it near the thumb end and at the same time, your right forefinger and thumb pick up the inner coin on your thigh. It is important for these two things to happen together. The blowing action in the left fist acts as a misdirection and takes the heat off the right hand which is already holding a coin in secret.

8.The right hand folds into a fist pulling the new coin into the palm. Make sure you don’t jingle the coins.

9.Hold the right and left fists about a foot apart and say, ‘One coin here and one coin there?’

10. Give your hands a shake and at the same time allow the 2 coins in the right hand to clink against each other. Open your palms to show both the coins in the right hand and say, ‘Boom… both coins here!’ The clinking makes it seem that one coin flew to the other. Await crazy reactions!

Performance Tips
As you’ve noticed, the main thing in this effect is the misdirection of blowing into your left fist while your right hand picks up the coin. Practice these moves till you can do them without thinking. You can repeat this effect a couple of times and people won’t catch on to it if you misdirect them smoothly.

Continue reading Magic Tricks- Jack’s Party