Coin Bend

[FormlessMars22]

Now this may seem like the most ridiculous question ever but how do you put the bends in your coins?

The reason I ask this is because here in South Africa our coins are SOLID and can't be bent by ordinary pliers which means that I would have to somehow machine a bend into the coins.

I always had a soft spot for coin bend routines and I would absolutely love to perform it, I've created many methods of doing it clean but I could never perform it due to that minor drawback.

What alternative methods do you know of putting bends into a coin?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Marco C.]

A vise and a rubber hammer do the trick for me. Just remember to put some piece of cardboard or leather or even a folded playing card between the jaws and the coin so as not to get scratches on the coin.

 

[FormlessMars22]

I had a similar idea of doing something along those lines but I think that I would get more of a 90 degree bend rather than a curved bend on the coin, thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely try it out.

 

[WitchDocIsIn]

If you're going for a curved bend then it's probably going to take some muscle. What metal is your coinage made of predominantly and how thick? I've bent some thick coins with just pliers and leverage. Remember, you can use piping or something like that to extend the handles of pliers and amplify your force.

 

[Marco C.]

I had a similar idea of doing something along those lines but I think that I would get more of a 90 degree bend rather than a curved bend on the coin, thanks for the suggestion, I'll definitely try it out.

I generally use the vise as mentioned beforehand and I actually choose to have them bent at an angle, generally closer to one of the edges than to the centre (I even slightly shift the position of the coin so as to make a less regular curve and in order to perform a variation of Strebler's "The closer" which fits with the concept of a chocolate coin bending in the spectator's hand).
I most commonly bend 50 cents Euro coins, which are quite thicker than American coins, even thicker than half dollars, and won't be bent in any other way (if not one suggested by Paul Harris in the True Astonishments DVD set).
With the an irregular, off-center bent coin and the possibility to have the coin signed, I've never had trouble performing. Actually, I think that the whole thing looks more realistic. Maybe you want to give it a try