TRANSPOSED
By Richard Robinson

The magician displays two coins.

He takes a coin in each hand, closes his hands over the coins, crosses his arms, gives the hands a slight shake and one coin is heard to clink against the other.

Sure enough, when the hands are turned up and opened one coin has mysteriously traveled to join the other.

Many of the basic sleights used in coin magic are involved in accomplishing this effect. So learning to do this and then learning to create an illusion with it are well worth the practice involved.

Props

The two coins must be the same and indistinguishable from each other. The size of the coin depends on what diameter coin it is easiest for the performer to palm.

What The Spectators See

The performer introduces two coins, taking one in each hand, displaying them at the finger tips palms up.

Each hand closes around a coin, the hands are turned backs up and the arms are crossed at the wrists with the right wrist going over the left wrist.

The left hand turns up, the fingers open and the coin in that hand is dropped on the table, then picked up again by the left fingers.

The hands uncross and at the same time the right hand opens to drop its coin on the table. The right fingers pick up the coin from the table.

The hand are now quickly crossed, then uncrossed. Both hands are given a quick shake. A coin is heard to click against another coin.

The hands are turned over and opened. The left hand is empty. The two coins are now together in the right hand.

Moves & Handling

In working this effect the hands and arms should make smooth, easy gestures at all times. The hands should be kept about 5 inches / 12.5 cm above the table surface. The coins can be lightly bounced on the hands as they are shown before the fingers close over them. In holding the coins the hands should make a loose fist which makes the moves involved easier to accomplish.

The two coins are on the table. The magician picks up one coin with each hand, turns the hands face up and lets the coins fall from the fingers into the palms. The coins are bounced slightly in the palms until they are in the proper position to be classic palmed. To the spectator it appears the magician is simply displaying the coins.

As the hands are turned over and closed into fists, the right hand classic palms its coin.

The coin in the right hand is classic palmed. The coin in the left hand held loosely in the hand. The hands are crossed at the wrists, right wrist over left wrist.

The left hand opens to show its coin, lets the coin drop to the table, then retrieves it.

The left second and third finger tips bring the coin up to the left palm, the left hand turns back up, the left fingers relaxing down slightly so the coin is balanced on the second and third finger tips.

As the hands uncross, the right fingers open out as it dropped a coin, in fact the coin in the left hand is released, the left fist remaining closed, while the right hand retains its coin in a classic palm. To the spectators it appears as if the hands have uncrossed and the right hand opened so its coin can drop on the table.

The hand remains closed into a fist, apparently holding its coin. The right hand picks up the tabled coin, then turns the back of the hand towards the spectators. The coin is allowed to rest on the second and third fingers, directly below the classic palmed coin. The right hand is closed in a loose fist.

The hands are gently crossed and uncrossed. The left hand is given a shake. The right hand is given a shake and the sound of one coin striking another is heard as the right hand releases its classic palmed coin so it drops onto the finger palmed coin. Both hands pause for a moment.

The left hand is turned up and the fingers open to show the left hand is empty. The right hand is turned up and opened to show both coins resting on the right fingers.

Performance Notes

This effect must be performed smoothly with no hesitation. Done at a medium tempo it creates a surprisingly illusion. The clicking of the two coins together as one magically passes from one hand to the other heightens the illusion. The hands being crossed and uncrossed cover much of the handling.