I have Jamie's "Walking Liberty" Dean's set.
Before I bought these I was already accustom to using some "junk silver" walking liberties that I picked up from a local coin shop for non-gaffed coin routines.
When Jamie's set came in the mail, I knew they would going to be slightly smaller due to the re-edging; however when I
first started using them the size difference made the coins feel
VERY different in my hands. Don't get me wrong, these things are way bigger than quarters; however if you have ever tried practicing a coin trick using quarters you probably know the feeling of coins being too small for your hands and how awkward that feels. This was how the coins initially felt to me and I was a
tiny bit disappointed. Also since I was very use to the look of walking liberties the re-edging was a visual turn off that I was sure every person I performed for would notice. (...of course this was just Magician's guilt, and
nobody has ever noticed anything...)
My
tiny bit of disappointment didn't stop me from ordering more Dean's set coins (copper/silver, flipper, etc.) to create more of a complete set. (...these coins
are a work of art and I
highly recommend Jamie's work...) I love the extra confidence that the re-edging gives compared to the worn edges of "soft" walking liberties.
Now that I have used them for a while the initial bit of awkwardness isn't as pronounced as it first was; however due to my performing environments (sometimes poorly lit and crowded bars) I am afraid that if I drop a coin and it rolls away that I may not be able to find it again, so I went back to Jamie's web site and started to rethink what would be the perfect set of coins for me.
Since I favor the normal size of half dollar coins rather than the shrunken size, I decided to go for an expanded shell. I like the extra "comfort" of fairly sharp edges and I wanted coins that could be easily replaced locally if I did end up losing one.
For my second purchase I went with the expanded shell 1964 Kennedy half shell. I'm lucky that I have a local coin shop that has a lot of "junk silver" Kennedy halves and the owner doesn't think I
too insane when I show up to buy more and want to check to make sure that they fit my shell. Eventually I also picked up a flipper and a copper silver set.
The '64 Kennedy set has become my "working" set of coins. This limits me from doing effects which require "soft" coins, so I go back to the Dean's set to practice / perform those routines. Since I have a good source for '64 Kennedy's my "set" has several spare coins, just in case one gets away.
To answer your other question, the only coin that isn't shrunken in the Dean's set is the shell itself, but it has also been re-edged, so it has the same look and feel as the other coins.
Before you make your purchase I would consider the following:
* Do sharp edges matter to me? (...grab some old soft liberties and see if you drop them more...)
* Do "soft" coins matter to me? (...grab some Kennedy halves and see if their "talking" is a problem...)
* Is there a chance in my performing environment that I will lose a coin? (...or would it be awkward if I asked a whole table of slightly drunk people to move while I dig around under their table in some sort of mad easter egg hunt, so I can continue working for the rest of the night...)
* Does size matter? (...Okay size,
does matter.
Bigger is often better as it makes the trick more visual, can be see from a further distance and seems more impossible; however it you find yourself putting coins in your pockets every day before you leave the house, you may find it easier to carry halves than dollars...)
I'm sure others here on this forum can offer other good points to consider as well, but those were the questions that I asked myself before making my second purchase.
My next purchase will be Morgan's so I will have to weigh the options between the expanded shell set or the Dean's set.
Hope my long winded ramble helps you think through your purchase,
-ThisOneGoesTo11
