by seige » Apr 24th, '03, 13:31
The original review is for a FOLDING coin. This is quite different from a bite-out coin, as a folding coin generally has two folds.
Personally, I find the 'bite-out' coin trick to be far too obvious in performance, as too is the 'tearing coin'. I'm not suggesting that these tricks are not worthy of performing, and I've often been asked 'can you do that thing the bloke on telly does where he bites a coin???'. Well, yes, I can, but unless they seriously believe I've got titanium plated, diamond edge teeth, I'm afraid it's a little bit of a gag rather than magic.
The quality of these items varies dramatically in proportion to their price. I have 10p, 50p, half-dollar and 50 cent coins in various guises. For instance, the quality of cut, whether the cut is 'profile', i.e. it follows the engraving on the coin and is less conspicuous, or whether it's laser-cut.
The best i've found so far are from emagictricks.co.uk, although they are all of a decent enough quality.
The advantages of a folding 10p over a folding 50p, in my opionion, is that when doing 'coin in bottle' routines (which are the only reason I see these coins having any use in real performance) you have a better chance of getting a 10p out of smaller bottles. Plus the fact that when I've performed this trick at weddings and things, people are usually more likely to have a 10p in their pocket, although I do carry the 50p with me just in case!
I agree that the 50p folding coin is better for biting... more of the coin is visible. Genuine bite-out coins, however, have an advantage over folding coins in that they are specifically designed to give the effect of having teeth-marks in them.
The folding coin mentioned and reviewed at the top of this thread is more of a wavy-line cut, I'm sure. Plus, a biting coin has a stronger snap-back, so there's less flashing as the coin 'pops' back into place.
So if biting is your thing, check out a proper bite-out coin.
Tips
1: The more you uses these, the more rounded the cuts become, and after a while you'll quite clearly see the cuts in the coin. Replace them every now and then.
2: I've found that when doing coin-in-bottle, put TWO bands around the coin. The small bands are quite prone to snapping when the coin is jerked back out of the bottle, and a second band is an insurance policy!
3: Although these coins look quite convincingly normal, try not to let people burn them too much. Keep the edges pointing at the ceiling and floor, as the outer groove in the rim can give them away. Try and borrow a coin and switch between the two, if possible.
4: Don't store them for long periods with a band on... the band will perish and the coin will fail during your first couple of folds. Get a nice coin wallet and put a new band (or two!!!) on the coin just before each performance.
Overall, a good multi-utility prop, but use sparingly.
Folding coins: 8/10