talkmagic.co.uk

Before I start just a note that these coins do not actively "do" anything, they're purely dollar sized coins to be used as any other for coin magic.

The item:

Morgan replica coins, these can be bought from Joe Mogar's website along with a load of other Morgan dollar gaffs, shells, etc. They're an alloy of some description and are ferromagnetic (Attracted to magnets but not actively magnetic).

Visually these coins are very convincing; They show some signs of wear and look like well maintained real Morgan dollars. All have the same year on them (1921) but they are NOT identical in every respect as some are slightly more worn than others. I personally feel that this is a good thing, but I suspect that personal preferences may differ. The shell is also highly convincing and a perfect match for the coins.

A brief note that is important to understand - Whilst these coins are perfect visually, anyone that knows the feel of real Morgans will recognise that they are replicas as they are quite a bit lighter than the real thing. Again I haven't found this to be an issue, however if you wanted your coins to be examinable by other coin magicians you might have slight cause to worry. Additionally I haven't tried any effects with them where weight is vital (Miracle coins to pocket, etc.) but I suspect given the size of the coins that it wouldn't be an issue.

Joe also offers jumbo versions of the coins that are 1.75" across (Standard Morgans are 1.5"), and are otherwise identical to the coins described above. Joe kindly gave me one of these with my order and I'm equally impressed with it - He suggests on his site that they are an excellent size for a stage performance of the Misers dream/similar. I agree, although if you've got small hands you'll struggle to classic palm these and they aren't really big enough to use a tenkai palm. Additionally I'd suggest that these are not big enough to serve as a jumbo coin unless you're performing your effects with half dollars or have very small hands. One thing that interested me when I noticed is that if you have a Jim Zee dollar sized Okito box (and if you don't, you should consider it because they are superb quality) these jumbo coins fit perfectly into the lid, and with the lid placed on top of the box it is impossible to tell that it's there.

Joe prides himself on the quality of his products - That much is clear from his website, and it is not in any way misplaced.


Price:

$10 per coin or $165 for a set of 4 with an expanded shell.
$15 for the larger coins.

The shell is admittedly expensive, but the quality really is excellent and I would definitely recommend these over cheaper versions from elsewhere. The coins themselves clearly are a lot cheaper than real Morgans and are also a lot more uniform in appearance than most real Morgan sets.

Rating:

9/10 - The weight is the only reason I would ever choose to use real Morgans over these, and then only if I wanted to have my coins inspected by other magicians or was performing at the annual numismatics conference. I haven't yet put much effort into finding good uses for the magnetic properties of the coins, however I am certain that it will come in handy at some point.


In all I highly recommend these coins to anyone that is serious about coin magic, I'd certainly be more comfortable using these for a close up performance than the real thing purely because of the uniformity of appearance. Joe gives excellent customer service, was happy to answer my questions (And did so quickly) before I placed my order and gave excellent advice. It's also worth checking the other bits and pieces he sells on his site, including 3" and 7" Morgan jumbo coins, which a friend of mine owns and I would definitely vouch for their quality.