The Come Back Coin

Bill Tarr's "Now You See It, Now You Don't" was my first book on real sleight of hand. This books runs the gamut from coins, to cards, to billiard balls, to cigarette and silk manipulation. But the one effect that has always stuck with me was The Come Back Coin. I still perform this effect today...20+ years later! Enjoy!

Citation Silver

Inspired by Marion Boykin's release of the fantastic Jump-Mandu, I present Bob Elliott's wonderful Citation Silver. This routine is a tribute to Bob's ability to get lots of magic from a simple method.

Bob taught me the routine using Harvey Rosenthal's Backclip. I prefer to use Tenkai Pinch, as it has more favorable angles.

Citation Silver appeared in the final issue of Pallbearers Review Magazine , page 1064. Wesley James says the effect is credited to Presto Johnson.

Slow Motion Coin Vanish

From his opus The Complete Works of Derek Dingle, the Slow Motion Coin Vanish is a welcome departure from the usual, close-it-in-my-hand-and-poof-it's-gone type of vanishes. The presentation gives motivation to the movements and keeps them from looking like a lot of hand washing and clever manipulation.

My signed copy of his book is one of my prized possessions. I am constantly mining it for new ideas.

From the Elfin Hoard

Geoff Latta published From The Elfin Hoard in Stephen Minch's Spectacle (pp 77-83). It is an unpretentious vanish and reproduction of three coins, done efficiently and without all the over-proving usually associated with coin magic. Geoff's story was about Elves and their gold, but I thought the Chinese coins and Vangelis' music gave it a different texture.

There are several great coin effects in Spectacle. I'll be posting another one in the near future.

3, 2, One

From Chris Kenner's "Out Of Control". 3,2,One is an easy and very clean 3-coin production and vanish. I like that the effect is uncluttered and direct. No over-proving or hand-washing to muddy it up. 3 coins appear and vanish one-by-one.

If you can find it, 'Out of Control' is definitely worth whatever you have to pay for it. It's filled with excellent coin magic.

Monedas Brisas

Gaston Quieto's Monedas Brisas is a quick and pretty on-the-table routine. It's a refreshing break from the usual Matrix/Shadow Coins/Assembly effects. As the name says, the coins are handled in a light and breezy way. I think this is a fantastic addition to any Matrix style routine.

Gaston's effect can be found in the "Talk About Tricks" section of the August 2002 issue of Magic Magazine.

One Coin Flurry

We'll start with a One Coin Flurry. My version was directly inspired by David Roth's Flurry Routine from his Expert Coin Magic, pp 23-25.

This effect can be performed impromptu, with a borrowed coin, making it ideal for casual performers. The modular nature of the routine makes it great for 'breaking in' new vanishes and productions. Roth says the coin should almost take on a life of it's own as it jumps around the body, almost out of the performers' control.

This video is from my Easy To Learn Coin Tricks DVD.