Copeland: Coin Box Part 3

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Something that I think is wonderful about Coin Box Magic is that you don’t have to work as hard. Let me explain...

The smack against Coin Magic is that if you are performing, you are always working. If you have not started your effect, then you are holding out coins somewhere! If during the routine, the coins have vanished, then you are working at presenting yourself and your hands as natural as possible, while holding out. And if the effect is over, you may very well have to figure out how to get rid of coins you are still holding out! I generalize this in jest, but this is exactly how some magicians view coin magic and therefore they refuse to learn it, arguing it's too much work.

Card magicians, in contrast, often have the stealthy advantage of using a deck, that can be set up or self working, containing all the secrets in plain sight. When a card is "lost", those deceptive folks keep it hidden in the deck. And of course, the deck is in full view! A playing card’s delightfully patterned backside lets it blend into a non-socially distanced crowd of fellow conformists who are all wearing the same outfit. While a chosen and lost card’s actual location typically needs a count of two or less to be found among it's friends, the performer is free to relax and act at ease while reciting the trick’s script. And when the deck of cards is in hand, there is nothing to fear, the card is “lost” and there is no need to be constantly working.

Now, take a average card man and tell him he has to palm a card to make it vanish for an effect…Tell him that he can’t use the deck and must do it bare handed...Well, you may see little beads of sweat begin to form on his brow and watch as he quickly turns the page and goes on to the next effect in the book. Again, I generalize all this in jest.

But the truth is many magic fans are afraid to palm. As coin magicians, palming is what we do. Palms are who we are. Our sleights typically have the surname “Palm!” We love a good empty hand deception and with experience our hands become just as natural and self working as a deck of cards.

Getting over the fear of palming and "always working" makes one a better magician. And, I should mention, having no fear of holding out makes one a much better card magician, too. As your parents told you to “Eat your spinach!” I would argue, “Practice your coins!” It will make you an all around better magician.

But even still, if you are a coin enthusiast who doesn't palm well, that's cool, too! We, the coin magic society, have many tools at our disposal that help us with our palms. (See a few here. It's one of the missions of Copeland Coins to empower magicians.) One of the greatest, classic, and overlooked tools to help you with absolutely impossible magic (and palming) is: THE COIN BOX.

The coin box gives us so many of those deceptive advantages, to not work as hard, that a deck of cards provides for a card worker. For example, the coin box allows us to be one ahead or one behind, right in front of the spectator and in plain sight. Just put the lid on the box and no one knows the condition of what is inside. It's like Schrödinger's Cat.

As well, the coin box allows us to show a coin going inside and then completely vanishing, much like a chosen card may disappear from a stack, deck, or card box. The coin box performs a half pass, moving the location of a coin like you would manipulate a deck. Also, with a single coin recessed lid, like in the Copeland Coin Box, you can perform deceptive displays and transfers similar to how you would show a "double." The new square shaped Copeland Coin Box actually has a subtle card deck feel when you square it in your hands.

And I'll end with this: Possibly one of the most important attributes a coin box or it's lid can provide is to act as a magic wand and make our palming better! Yes, holding the coin box just like holding a deck will make your hand look natural while holding out because of the age old magic wand principle. (Too much to dive into here, but I'm always talking about magic wand principle in all my teaching products.)

So, no matter your skill set, a coin box can help you build confidence and make your magic effects cleaner. Coin boxes allow for impossible location plots, solid through solid penetrations, steals, loads, and so much, much more all while being out in plain sight! ...I didn't even get to mention the Slot and Boston Boxes advantages.

It’s not a card deck. It’s not a card box. It’s a coin box and its added presence lets us do some really impossible demonstrations!

There is so much joy and wonder we can create from a little prop that is easy to daily pocket carry just like a deck! You'll learn so many of the above mentioned effects when you watch Roo's excellent project Brass Class! All the resources are here at Copeland Coins for your disposal. Get going today and share beautiful magic!

Thank you for reading. Place your comments below… 

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