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Ok I've done a search for this but can't find anything.

A lot of the books I've got use American coins in their explainations. Great if you're a Yank but no good for us Brits.

Has anyone thought about putting together a list of American coins and their British alternatives. Perhaps Euro coins and anyother nationality that frequents this forum could be included to make it more useful.

Cheers

From my Bob Longe days, his book Money Magic Tricks has a useful chart of such a thing in the front of the book.

10p works pretty well in place of a quarter, and for some tricks involving half dollars, for example coins across, lately I have been trying out using 2 pound coins.
not quite the same size, thicker and heavier, but the milled edges grip like a dream
they look nice I think for this too.

Cheers,

I've figured pretty much the same thing,

Have been using 10p as a quarter and £2 for a half.
Is a 2p like a nickle? That's what I've been using anyhow.

Dirty Davey wrote:Is a 2p like a nickle? That's what I've been using anyhow.

Unless I'm very much mistaken... a nickel is more like a 5p. Similar size to a dime which is a bit closer to the size of a 5p. Not easy to find equivalents, but 1ps or 20ps should match sizes well for nickels.

For UK and US coin diameter comparisons, see here:

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numisw ... y=Diameter

That's exactly what I've been looking for, nice one Tomo!!!

The original penny is really nice, with a flat outside edge ideal for palming. The 2 poiund coin is nice for a half dollar substitute. Half crowns are also good for half dollar size equivalent.

I normally just use US currency. I have a nice set of Silver Kennedys (different than the Dead Kennedys )

A nickel is heavy, thicker, and bigger than a 5p.

the problem I find with using US money is that it instantly look suspisous, an ordinary everyday pound coin just looks like and ordinary pound coin no one takes any notice (even if it is gaffed). A quarter is something strange and straight away people will be watching it.

my excuse to specs for using half dollars.....
I do an appearing coin from cards trick (bobo). I tell them that I have only managed to get american money from them so far, and that I think it's because they are American USPCC cards. I am saving up so I can get to the states to spend them.
"I'm up to 2 dollars so far!" showing them 3 more halves and letting them cop a feel.
Then I go into coins across or whatever else with the 4 half dollars.
works for me lol

If you do ungimmicked effects then it should not matter

they are ungimmicked. it just makes a reason for them to be american coinage...patter if you will
use it, don't use it, it's up to you. like I said it works for me and gets a laugh, just thought I'd share in case it helped another