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The Effect

Lethal Tender

A Chinese coin, a half dollar, a playing card and a black wallet are shown.
Take the half dollar out of the wallet and place it on top of the wallet, pressing on the Chinese coin that is inside and this is then placed on the back of your spectators hand.
Cover the half dollar for only a second with the playing card.
The Chinese coin is now on the back of your spectators hand and the half dollar is in the wallet.
No skill required the coins do all the work!


Cost
£25.00 at Davenports


Difficulty 3, but only to leave yourself 'clean' afterwards.
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)


Review
Took my first ever trip to Davenports on Monday, told them I had £30 to spend on a couple of table tricks for a couple of events I'm doing as a favour for friends. He showed me this and I nearly fell over.

It's my first experience of using this kind of mechanism (is that the right way to put it), and I was stunned. The link posted above is slightly different to how they did it, as they used the wallet and not the card to make the transformation.

The instructions give you a few routines to use, but using the wallet does cut out most of any noise.

I performed this for my mum last night and for the first time ever, she had no idea how this trick was done. This morning I have showed two work colleagues, one of which raised the coin on the back of her hand and noticed something wasn't quite right (if you know what i mean). The trick must be performed where the spectator can only see it from the top.

Still haven't been able to get rid of the noise factor, and not entirely convinced with how I wave the wallet and/or how many times I should wave the wallet over the half dollar.

A bit gutted that I've found it cheaper (see link above) - although I figure this is true of Davenports, as I also bought pena coin at £4.50 and found it cheaper online elsewhere too.


Overall
As soon as I've got the noise thing sorted, and hopefully be confident enough to use the card and not the wallet for the effect, then this will be a mind-blowing trick. Got to figure out a way of stopping the spectator raising their hand and looking to close.

I'd give it an 8/10, losing 2 points only for noise and the extreme Davenports price I paid.

Also, I've since spied books containing lots of routines for this set - any advice out there on routines or reviews on these booklets?

Thanks for that review! Its one of the first packet tricks I bought and I had completly forgotten about it.
The "talking" is an issue with this but if instead of waving the card over the coin you place it on top and leave it their, get everyone hudled around it and slowly lift it to show the coins have transposed (dramatic tension oo yea!).
Another thing I find with it is that the "card" that comes with it isnt made from trusty bicycle stock so dosnt fit in with the rest of my routine. This can be sorted fairly easily by adapting one. (a bit of Mod editing there as it sort of gave the game away!)
Looking back at it I would also give it a 8/9 out of ten.

Is there a DIY 'adapting' technique I can find out? A Bike card would top this trick off nicely.

I'l PM you the details, but its not that exciting

I know this topic is very old but I just wanted to add a few comments from my own experience.

Firstly, I think the idea itself is great. The change is fast and surprising and original (or it was when it first came out).

However, five things are wrong with this set.

First, the display wallet supplied is cheap and tacky and cannot be shown as a wallet you just happen to have on you. The real-world item it comes closest to is a handy bus pass or pension case. To avoid double standards with magic props we can't demand realism for some things and accept plasticky rubbish for others, especially at this price.

Possible solution: use a different wallet.

Secondly, the wallet carries a strange card in one display pocket. Again, a single playing card is a sure sign that this is just a magic prop. It's Ronald McDonald's red nose, or Superman's cape. It sticks out like a Magic Makers false thumb.

Possible solution: use a better card (I can tell you where to get them from) or better still use a different item, such as a bus pass, a credit card or an ID card.

Thirdly, the [ is awful. It has no depth - for strategic reasons maybe, but more probably because Sterling uses the same [ in China Change and elsewhere so it doesn't need to be made specially, just modified. You can use misdirection to hide the fact it's a [ but if I'm paying $20 or more I want the manufacturer to do the misdirection for me.

Possible solution: use a better [.

Fourthly, the Chinese coin is one of those horrible standard "replica" coins that look nothing like anything used in China ever and is actually made from a brass washer partly painted black. For twenty dollars I expect something better.

Possible solution: a trip to the nearest coin shop will produce a much better and authentic Chinese coin. Though the point of using a Chinese coin escapes me.

Fifthly, and finally, there is absolutely no story in this trick. No justification for smacking an American coin and getting it to change places with a Chinese one, and no reason on earth to use a special playing card and display wallet for the purpose.

Possible solution: with your own props make up a story that you like.

Lethal Tender is just like using a Raven but with junk instead of your hands, but for twice the price. In the end I would say that if the high price is justified because you're actually paying for the secret not the gadget, one more secret should be given to you for free: go make your own based on the plasticky template enclosed with the "manuscript."