In an attempt to satisfy my own curiosity on the popularity of coin magic in its innumerable forms, I have started this poll for everyone to share their thoughts on their favourite types of coin effects and why they like them.

This said, please do understand that I may have missed out many types of effects out there that are not listed in the poll, hence the 'Others' choice where you can specify it in your post.

Hopefully this will help to shed some light on the appeal and attraction of the different forms of coin magic to non-coin workers (such as myself).

Vote for your favourite effect and do share with us why it appeals to you over the other types/plots!

AdrianLee

For stand-up routines, I like coins across. For tabled coin magic, I prefer Chink-a-Chink. These type of magic is easy to follow and undertand for layman.

I voted for others! I think jumbo coin manipulations are great! Having said that, as a performer, I'd probably prefer copper sliver routines, or anything that involves spectator's hand.

I voted for 3fly. Because it's difficult to do. Haha

Zi An

Matrix type performance ^_^

I once saw a performance online that was really 'MAGIC'al by Miika Pelkonen.
Which later I found out was Armando Lucero's.

But it's only up for a few days, later got removed. Been searching for one ever since.

Just wanted to feel the MAGIC again ^_^ So beautiful, so elegant, and (I think Magicdow hits the nail), it's easy to understand and follow.

On a side note, i don't like matrix that performed in whooz whoozz whoozz.. done ! kinda thing. To rely on speed to deceive the eyes is not my taste :P (in matrix) On other thing maybe yes maybe not :rolleyes:

Armando Lucero's matrix is rather elusive. I think he does not allow it to be uploaded in any form.

You're lucky if you have the chance to see it. Not many people get the chance to.

ZiAn

The first thing that came to my mind was Teller's performance of Miser Dream so it has to be Miser Dream for me.

I vote 3Fly because its the easiest to understand. But one coin routine comes in a close second.

From a magician point of view, I voted for Coin Across

REasons: It can be performed with or without a table, can be done with a variety of methods from the basic to advanced, and as Bernard said, the plot is easily understood by laymen. Practical for most occassions.

But I think, to a layman, a coin penetration is probably more "magical".

I mean, no matter how well your execution is, laymen will always put it down to sleight of hands somehow (even if they can't figure it out).

But when you are able to put a signed coin into a sealed coke can and later show it is indeed THE same coin IN the can, there is no way for anybody to think "oh... sleight of hands".

Of course, I am using Sinful as an example above, but it also apply to most coin penetration effects.

That being said, coin penetration is not something one can keep doing in a show, more for a closer act or something you do during a party. So for practical purposes, I go for coin across.

I voted for 'Others'.

I absolutely love Hanging Coins.
Vanishing the coins one by one and then producing them and so far I have not seen many methods for it and it is rather difficult to perform.
It is the vanish and then production kind of effect.

Others are equally as great but Hanging Coins stands out in my heart. Haha.

Closed Fist Coins across


It always gives a good response. I've been doing 3 Fly abit, but it doesn't garner such a huge response as the closed fisted version. Does it for you Mattlee?

Miser's Dream.

This is a classic magic effect. Who doesn't like the idea of money appearing from nowhere?

From a theoretical perspective, Miser's Dream is probably the only well motivated routine in the list. Most if not all of the other effects do not have any meaning unless the performer creates one for it. Because of this, these effects can possibly be substituted with similar objects other than coins and probably do not lose any significance although arguably, the perception to laymen would be of course, slightly different.

However, it might be unfair to compare Miser's Dream to the other effects because it by itself is a complete routine whereas the other effects can be sequenced one into another from production to complete vanishes. For example, I believe Chris Kenner and several others have commented before that 3 Fly should never be done on its own and should really be more of a sequence incorporated into a larger routine.

Hmmm. Very good question. I can only answer in terms of my personal experiences.

Both effects elicit good responses from audiences, however I find that VCA is superior because after every phase I can display very cleanly only 3 coins (I cheat - I use a ] ).

This I feel is one of the keys to VCA's strengths - the visual nature of the effect immediately lulls the spectator to look for extra coins, which is a false solution. Essentially you lead the spectator to hunt for a weakness in the method that isn't there.

I do realize that CFCA (Closed Fist Coins Across) can also take advantage of the benefits a [ provides, however I personally prefer visual magic. No need to talk so much =)

Hmmm, I guess its different environment. Like a bar and pub kinda magic would be more inclined for VCA. While for the closed fisted one, I think its especially important to 'milk' the magic.

Cool stuff, do you perform Closed fist first the VCA or simply that?

I perform both, although I only do VCA if I can control my angles. You do not want people looking behind you. Which is what happened to me several times. Especially friends, they will literally run around you as soon as the 1st coin goes.

Another thing which I forgot to mention previously is that if you ask a random spectator to imagine what 'coins traveling from left hand to right hand' looks like, I suspect the picture in their head would look quite close to VCA.

I voted for Coin across being amature, as I find that most often practical for me to do while with Friends and Family. While I do like the other two efect such as Miser's dream and VCA but I guess personally for me to do I would need to refine the techniques and not get caught while doing it visually.