talkmagic.co.uk

Hi I'm Dan I'm new here.

I've been into magic for about 7 or so months and spend most of my time practicing card magic with ungimmicked decks (due to lack of money, not lack of want)

anyway i'd like to start with some coin magic, I'm learning the basics like classic/ down/ back palms and I'm having some difficulty the size of british coins dont seem large enough to do the back palm with apart from the 2£ coin which seems too thick.

i'd use american coins but that would mean you lose the impromptu nature of coin magic.

any advice tips on what coins are best

I spoke to Bobby Bernard about this, and he's was quite a reputable coin man, and he had two pieces of advice.

1.) Don't use the backpalm. There are different ways of concealing a coin in the same situations

2.) Buy old English pennies from Davenports, or anywhere else that will sell them. They're big coins, English, and work well for all other kinds of coin work.

also old english pennies usualy match some of the more popular C/S and sun and moon sets available from the states, because it's their copper coin of choice.

indeed, another coin to consider using is the half crown.

I always use old english coins, mainly because they're familar enough not to be suspisous but different enough to be interesting. And you can also weave some nice stories around old coins.

I wouldn't bother with the back palm, I've never managed to find a coin that's the right size for me, they're either all too big or too small.

thanks for your help guys

dont confuse the back palm with a goshman pinch, or clip.

that is a usefull feint, whan wanting to display an open palm.



Historicaly the true back palm was used as a flourish you know. Its soul pourpouse was to display how skillfull the conjurer was, in being able to get it there, and they would always expose it, as part of their acts.

I find 10pences are a great size. Being Irish, I find the only coins i can in any way use properly are the 50c and 2e but due to the facts I always spend them and they just dont fit right, I asked my girlfriend to send me over a bunch of 10pences from England.
This way I will always have coins for magic on me and in the right amount.