Australian Coin Magic

Dec 27, 2011
3
0
Australia
I've recently decided to get into coin magic, mainly because, well, you do look a little weird carrying around your deck of bicycles on the train to work :) I've been planning to just work through Bobo's book (which arrived on Christmas day), perhaps with a bit of help from youtube demonstrations, but as an Australian I find myself unsure what coins I should be using.

I've read on several forums and even at some magic stores' websites that for some reason Australian coins are not well suited for magic. Can anyone confirm/explain this?

At the moment, I'm just looking for some advice from people who might have been in the same situation. What coins do you use? Is it worth getting my hands on some american half-dollars or some other foreign coins? Coin magic seems hard enough, I guess I don't want to be fighting any more than I need to.

Thanks

BTW, I've got quite large hands (for any Aussies out there, I find it hard to imagine I could front finger hold a 20c effectively, though of course practice might be able to change that).
 
Jul 13, 2010
526
34
I can`t speak for anyone else, but I have rather large hands and I feel much more comfortable working with bigger coins. The problem is, the biggest Euro coin is just ca. 25mm diameter (2€), even less than a half-dollar (ca. 30mm).
 
Mar 6, 2008
1,483
3
A Land Down Under
Australian coins are fine for magic, they talk slightly more than American coins but it is not noticeable in the real world. Personally I use 20cent coins and 50 cents work nicely aswell. If you can find some round 50 cent coins they are perfect. The main problem is getting gaffs even expanded shells your best bet is just to work with an extra coin for awhile and get very comfortable using either pure sleight of hand and extra coins and once you feel you are ready spend the money to get a custom shell made.

You made the reference that you would not feel natural carrying a deck of bikes around how would us coins fit better.
 
Dec 27, 2011
3
0
Australia
Thanks D ICE R

2 quick questions (from a complete beginner) - by 'extra coins' do you mean tricks which just use an extra but concealed real coin?

Also, I'm curious as to what you do for 'colour change' style tricks (which feature quite prominently in Bobo's book). I don't think we have copper/bronze variants for australian coins...
 
I generally use 20 cent coins. They have a good shape and weight, they are the coins most similar to American half dollars. As Dicer said they do talk a lot more than American coins. Due to the metal the coins are made from. If you can get down to a coin collecter and get some old school silver round 50 cent coins. These coins can be conditioned and softened to talk less. They can also be zinced up to look all old school and nice. Much how Homer's coins and generally conditioned. I tend to stay away from 50 cent coins the edges make them difficult and uncomfortable to palm etc. For colour changes I generally turn them into 1$ coins. Similiar shape to 10 cent pieces. Alternately the French-speaking islands around Australia have this Franc coin which is copper and is almost identical to the 20 cent piece.

Have fun.

J.
 
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