Learn Coin Magic Tricks > The Winged Coin

The Winged Coin

The effect of this splendid piece of magic is as if you had passed a marked half-dollar from a distance into an uncorked bottle, whose neck was so small that the bottle must be broken to get the coin out. In appearance it is as follows : Any gentleman is invited to assist you, and is seated in a chair in the center of the stage, facing the audience. You take an empty soda water bottle (one of the round end variety) and standing it upright upon its head, you ask him to steady it with both hands so that it does not fall. Now you borrow any half-dollar, and have it marked by the owner ; taking it in your right hand, you, in full view of the audience, make as if to throw it towards the bottle. The sound of a falling coin is heard, and upon your bidding the gentleman to take down the bottle and shake it, a half-dollar is seen to be within. You take the bottle down to the audience and turning it over it is seen that the neck of same is smaller than the coin. You now step to your table, and taking a hammer break the bottle over a small box, and picking up the bottom of the bottle you pass it containing the coin to the owner, who identifies his coin. The secret is this : You have two bottles, one of which is prepared in this manner : The round bottom is sawed off, and a half-dollar placed in it, and the bottom cemented on again. On the back of the chair (which is solid) is fastened a little wire bottle rack, in which the prepared bottle is placed beforehand. Beside this little rack is a cloth bag, and as you step up behind the seated subject to place the bottle upon his head, you rapidly drop the bottle into the bag, and, with the same motion, bring up into view the prepared bottle, which you place upon his head, with the request that he hold it. As the bottom is round, the coin cannot be seen from a distance, and the same reason also necessitates his holding on to it, else it will tumble over. After vanishing the coin by palming, you request him to shake the bottle, which he does, and the coin is seen to be in it. It is then shown that the neck is too small to admit the half-dollar, after which you hold it over a box containing sawdust and break it. You then pick up the bottom, and at the same time substitute the marked coin for the one that was first in it, and pass bottom and coin to the owner.