Learn Coin Magic Tricks > The New Glass Coin Jar

The New Glass Coin Jar

The following will be found a pretty and effective little trick worked either with a coin show or by itself. A pretty glass jar containing a silk American or other flag is brought on and placed on table, the stopper is removed and thoroughly examined. The flag is taken out and laid on table, and the jar held horizontally by the top and bottom and looked through by performer to show, no trickery. Jar is replaced on table and stopper put in, and the whole covered with the flag. A silver tripod, with ring at top to receive dish, is next placed over jar. Four coins are now placed into a glass dish, and placed on top of the tripod. On removing flag the coins are seen and heard to fall into the jar and to have left the dish on tripod. Dish, tripod and- jar can now be thoroughly examined. Now for the solution. In each side of neck of jar, which is roughly cut so as to be opaque, are drilled two holes, through which is pushed from one side to the other a U-shaped piece of wire, twisted at the base so as to make a tiny ring, to which is fastened a piece of fine thread (the same length as the distance between the opposite corners of flag), the other end of thread is fastened to 's, corner of the flag, and this corner, together with the whole of the thread, is stuffed into the jar through the space A, the opposite corner of flag only being allowed to stick out of the top of jar so as to be at hand. The coins are now placed on the wire and hidden by the corner of flag. The jar can now be shown round, the coins being kept steady by the first finger of left hand. Now place jar on table, still keeping first finger of left hand on coins, and draw out the flag quickly with the right hand, which proves indirectly that nothing is concealed in the neck of the jar, and having taken up jar horizontally by both ends and looked through it, place stopper in and cover with flag, the corner with thread attached hanging at back. Place tripod in position (one leg in front). Show your four coins and throw on table, take up glass dish, which is also roughly cut, and, holding at back of table, sweep the coins, one at a time, into another glass dish on servants, and place empty dish on tripod: The rest is easy.
Remove the flag slowly, and immediately the last corner is drawn off the coins are seen and beard to fall into jar. For stage purposes, the wire can be pulled out by assistant, in which case the jar would not be covered. The object in using the flag is two-fold, viz., that it is a means of introducing some good patter, and serves the object of concealing the presence of the thread by its dazzling colors. (The coin jar as above can be obtained of any first-class dealer in magical apparatus.)

* Invented by Mr. Alfred McEwen, an exceedingly clever Chicago conjurer.