Pages from conjuring with coins including tricks by nelson downs and other well known conjurers

^w^

CONJURING COINS "WITH

INCLUDING TRICKS BY

NELSON DOWNS AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN CONJURERS

AMUSEMENT IN STIFF PICTORIAL WRAPPERS.

FOR THE HOME.

Price 2/- net each.

Card Tricks

Magic Made Easy.

Without Sleight of Hand or Apparatus.

BY L. W I D D O P .

A Volume which will give the Amateur or Semi-Professional, who does not wish to spend a great deal of time in practice, material for entertaining performances. Card Tricks presented in new forms and wilh up-to-date patter.

BY DAVID DEVANT. A New Edition.

A splendid collection of Conjuring Tricks by one of our leading magicians.

The Drawing Room Entertainer.

Matchstick Magic.

Puzzles, Games, and Conjuring Tricks with Matches.

BY WILL BLYTH, M.I.M.C. With a foreword by DAVID DEVANT.

A Practical Guide to the Art of Amateur and Semi-Professional Entertaining.

BY CECIL H. BULLIVANT. The Contents include :—Ventriloquism —Conjuring—Popular Entertainments—The Drawing-Room Comedian — The Sketch Artist—A Shadow Show—Variety Programmes—Method and Management—How Best to Secure Engagements.

Recitations for Children.

BY JENE BELFRAGE. Second Edition.

A charming Collection of Poems (chiefly copyright) specially selected as being suitable for Young People, with Instructions for Reciting.

Plays for Amateur Actors.

Ventriloquism

By HAROLD C. KINO ;

and

Juggling

Bv

JOHN E. T. CI.ARK. Two subjects of interest to the Amateur and Semi-Professional Entertainer contained in one volume. Both are dealt with in a lucid and interesting way.

Handkerchief Magic.

BY WILL BLYTH, Author of "Paper Magic" "Matchstick Magic," &*c.

Tricks and Amusement with a Pocket Handkerchief, with a foreword by CL1VE MASKELYNE.

Irish Reciter and Reader.

Containing- Eleven Original Humorous Plays.

Wiih Hints for Amateur Theatricals.

of Ireland, including—WILLIAM ALEXANDER,

Heard this One ?

TYNAN HINKSON, DORA SIC.ERSON SHORTER, ALFRED PERCIVAL GRAVES, W. B. YEATS, DOUGLAS HYDE, LADY WILDE, " M R .

DOOLF.Y," LADY DUFFERIN, LAURENCE STERNE, SAMUEL LOVER, and many others.

The Newest Funny Stories collected and told by

CHARLES VIVIAN. Editor of "The Novel Magazine."

Card Games.

BY PETER ALSTON. Including Bridge, Whist, Cribbage, and all the various games played today.

Contains Selections from all the best writers

D.D. (Primate of Ireland), KATHARINE

Hand Shadows.

The Complete Art of Shadowgraphy.

BY LOUIS NIKOLA. In Stiff Pictorial Wrapper, with numerous Illustrations showing how the Shadows are produced.

These Handbooks muy be obtained through your Bookseller, or will be forwarded post free on receipt of 2s. 4d. from

C. ARTHUR PEARSON, Ltd., 17 Henrietta Street, LONDON, W.C. 2.

i

AMUSEMENT

FOR

THE

HOME.

IN STIFF P r : r p ? / - n<*t t*arYt POSTAGE r r i c e BOARDS. * / - n e t e a c n . 3dEXTRA After-Dinner Sleights and That's a Good Story.

Pocket Tricks.

A Collection of 400 of the Best

BY C. LANG NEIL.

Anecdotes.

With upwards of ioo Illustrations.

A Collection of Amusing Tricks requiring very little skill, and no, or very simple, apparatus. These Tricks are, as the title suggests, especially suitable for a few minutes' amusement after dinner, or to fill up what might become an awkward pause, as the time occupied in the presentation of each is very short.

Selected and Edited by A. M. LEIGH. With Cover Design by JOHN

The Pearson Puzzle Book.

A Collection of the best Puzzles, Jokes, Riddles, etc.

Edited by Mr. X. The Contents include:—Provoking Paragraphs—Tongue Twisters and Palindromes— Letter Juggling—Missing Letters and Punctuation Puzzles—Trick Verses—Knigmas— Riddles—Mathematical Puzzles—Tricks for Winter Evenings—Coin and Counter Puzzles — Match and Match-Box Puzzles—Eye Twisters and Optical Illusions, etc.

Tricks for Everyone.

Clever Conjuring with Common Objects.

BY DAVID DEVANT. Illustrated with 134 Photographs, showing the complete working of the experiments.

The Contents include :—Tricks at the Writing Table—Tricks in the Smoking Room— Tricks at the Work Table—Tricks at the Dinner Table—Tricks in the Garden —Card Tricks—Thought-Reading Tricks.

HASSALL.

Paper Magic.

Tricks and Amusements with a Sheet of Paper.

By WILL BLYTII, Member 0/ the Inner Magic Circle.

With a Prefatory Note by NEVIL MASKELYNE. A Collection of Entertaining and Amusing Models, Toys, Puzzles, Conjuring Tricks, etc., in which Paper is the principal material used.

Illustrated wit/i 147 Diagrams.

Chemical Magic.

Entertaining Tricks and Experiments with Simple Apparatus.

By V. E. JOHNSON, M.A. Author of " Modern Models," &c.

This volume contains a most interesting series of Chemical Magical Entcnainments, wiih full explanations and appropriate " P a t t e r " for giving an entertainment.

Illustrated with Diagrams.

Modern Card Manipulation.

BY C. LANG NEIL. With upzvards of 100 Illustrations.

Contains explanations of all the best Card Tricks of the leading Conjurers. The Tricks are illustrated with actual Photographs taken at the various stages of performance, and thus the amateur is enabled to follow the methods employed with the greatest ease.

Pearson's Humorous Reciter and Reader.

Contains choice selections from the Writings of J. K. JEROME, J. M. BARKIE, F. ANSTBV, F. C. BURNAND, W. W. JACOBS, ROBERT

BAKR, and all the best humorous writers.

These Handbooks may be obtained through your Bookseller, or will be forwarded post free on receipt of the price named, from

C. ARTHUR PEARSON Ltd., 17 Henrietta St., LONDON, W.C. 2 .

GOLDSTON'S

MAGIC

ten

The Polychromatic Billiard

IJall. A number of different coloured silk handkerchiefs are introduced and a spectator is asked to name any one of them. No matter which !â&#x20AC;˘> selected, it is just rolled in fingers anti becomes changed into a billiard ball of preci-ely the same colour. N o for:ing of colour is employed.

Price, complete with full instructions, I s . 6 d . , postage 4d.

Russian Manacle Mystery. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;A length of ordinary steel dog-chain, padlock, and key are examined by audience. The wrists of performer pre now fastened together Padlock prevents anything from slipping. No matter howfirmlyhe is secured, per'ormer instantly shakes his manacles fr>e from his wrists. This is based on a very subtle and indetectable principle, and may be performed at sight. Price, with full instructions, 2-.. (Padlock 6 d . extra), postage ^d.

Illustrated Professional Catalogue and Magazine Is. post paid.

The Young Conjurer. h 2/6

Practical Magic

Postage sd.

Postage sd

2/6

CABINETS OF CONJURING TRICKS.

BOX A. Superior. Containing many professional Tricks, complete with Magic Wand and illustrated instructions for performing all the Tricks. Price 4 5 s , post paid. Wonderful value.

BOX B . Containing good grade apparatus ami all instrncn'ons for performing all Tricks contained in the Cabinet. Price 2 1 s . , postage gd. Better valu: impossible.

BOX C. Cabinet contains good assortment of enteriaining Tricks. Easily learned. Full instructions gratis. Price 10^- 6 d . , postage c;d.

BOX D. This Cabinet contains a carefully selected assortment of good mystifj ing Tricks. Prire 7 s . 6d-. pos'a;:*- 6i'.

Pacer Tricks

26 Postage s

WxToldston

Small Lists and Book Catalogue Free and Post Paid.

and Puzzles

Modern Ventriloquism

Postage sd.

Postage 5<i.

More Tricks

26

2/6

ALADDIN HOUSE

1<* Gr-een

Street

LEICESTER SQUARE

LONDON,

W.C.

2

P a*.

CONJURING WITH COINS

WRITE FOR

SHIPPERS

COMPLETE

and TRADE SUPPLIED.

ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE, PRICE 6 d . , POST FREE.

j HAMLETS ?CAR-DTRJQK£

These Cabinets contain a selection of up-to-date Card Tricks, complete witn full instructions. All cards are the same pattern.

No. 1 Cabinet. Price S/-. Post free 5/9.

No. 2 Cabinet. Price 8/6. Post free 9/3.

No. 3 Cabiuet. Price 12/6.-, No. 4 Cabinet. Price 226. I Post free.

Superb Cabinet. Price 43/-. j

CABINETS OF MAGIC. No. 1 Cabinet. Price 2/6. Post free 3/-.

No. 2 Cabinet. Price 6/-. Post free 6/9.

No. 3 Cabinet. Price 10/6.'

No. 4 Cabinet.

No. 5 Cabinet.

No 6 Cabinet. Price 30/-..

Advanced Cabinets. Prices 42/-, 63/- and 103/Carrlage extra.

CABINET OF COIN TRICKS.

BOXES OF PUZZLES.

A Splendid Assortment of the Best Puzzles, mostly made of Boxwood. Pull directions are given with each Puzzle.

No. 1 Box, 4/-. Post free 4/9.

No. 2 Box, 5/6. Post five 6/3.

No. 3 Box, 10/6. No. 4 Box, 21/-,

HAMLEY

BROS.,

This little Cabinet contains Eight Capital Coin Tricks.

Each Coin is in a Separate Division.

Price 7/6. Post free 8/3.

LTD., 86 & 87 HIGH HOLBORN, W.C. 1.

BRANCHES: LONDON and SUBURBS— (Wholeaale and Retail.)

29 & 29a Lodgato Hill, E.C. 4 ; 510a, 512 & 514 Oxford Stroet, W. 1 ; 200 & 202 R.g.ct Straet. W. X ; 59 Kninhtebridge, S.W. 1 ; 23 Ceorga Street. Crordoa.

CONJURING WITH COINS INCLUDING TRICKS

BY

NELSON DOWNS AND OTHER WELL-KNOWN CONJURERS

EDITED BY

NATHAN DEAN

London

C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. Henrietta Street

First Published .

Second Impressioyi .

Third Impression .

. . .

jg/6 igig ig22

Printed in Great Britain at The Mayflower Press, Plymouth.

William Brendon & Son, Ltd.

CONTENTS 7AGE

THE

PRINCIPLES O FMAGIC

.

THE CONJURER'S CLOTHES

.

.

.

THE CONJURER'S' TABLE

.

SLEIGHTS USED I N COIN

TRICKS—

T o P a l m a Coin The Finger Palm The Back and Front The French Drop To Change a Coin SOME SIMPLE COIN

. .

.

.

.

.

1

1

.

16

.

.

.

18

. .

Palm

. .

. .

. .

.

.

20 23 24 33 34

.

.

.

.

.

.

TRICKS—

T o Vanish a Coin from the Table

.

.

40

A Coin S p u n i n the Air a n d Vanished

.

41

The Mysterious Match-box G

o

n

e

!

H e a d o r Tail ? .

.

. .

. .

. .

. .

.

•.

T h e Mesmerised Coin . . . .

A Coin W r a p p e d i n Paper Disappears A Chinese Coin Trick . , „

.

42

.

44 .

4 . .

6 48 49 54

io

•

CONTENTS

POCKET TRICKS— TACK

" Can You See Through It ? " The Escaping Penny

.

.

.

.

.

. .

The " Mascot " Vanishing Coin Trick The Oriental Coin and String Trick

58 60

. .

62 . 6 5

T R I C K S WITH S L E I G H T OF H A N D OR A P P A R A T U S —

Appliances for Vanishing or Recovering Coins— The Halfpenny Box . . . .

68 . The Pepper Box

.

.

.

.

69

The Rattle Box

70

The Plug Box

.

.

. .

.

.

71

.

.

73

The Coin Casket

.

The Coin W a n d .

.

.

.

. • 74

The Money Plate

.

.

.

. • 75

The Multiplication of Money

.

.

•

77

The Cap and Pence .

.

.

.

•

79

Coin and Glass Trick

.

.

.

.

85

Marked Florin and Penny Placed in Two Separate Handkerchiefs Change Places .

Vanish of Four Coins from Handkerchief . Coin and Oranges

.

.

.

.

Ten Coins Passed into a Glass .

The Aerial Mint

.

.

A Combination Coin Effect CONCLUDING R E M A R K S

.

. .

.

An I m p r o m p t u Coin Trick My Grandfather's Legacy .

.

. .

. .

.

. .

87 88 92

.

94

.

100

.

105 108 .117 122

CONJURING WITH COINS THE PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL MAGIC " IT is the quickness of the hand deceives the eye " was a maxim correctly applied to the performances of the earlier conjurers, whose skill was of the juggling order. It is also in some degree applicable to the recent type of coin and card manipulation, which has been made the vogue by several very clever American performers. But as descriptive of the secrets of conjuring and magic (I always use the word in its natural, not the supernatural sense) it is entirely erroneous.

The magician or the drawing-room conjurer who desires to create real illusionsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that is to say, to quite deceive his audience as to all he doesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;must rely on much more cunningly constructed foundations for his schemes than mere quickness of the hand.

The juggling order of sleight of hand is most interesting and clever, but is only a branch of natural magic. The performer who takes a card or coin ii