Learn Coin Magic Tricks > Transmutation of Metals

Transmutation of Metals

A pile of gold and a pile of silver coins are each wrapped in a piece of paper and placed on separate plates, each then being covered with handkerchiefs. The handkerchiefs are touched with a wand and removed. On opening the parcels the silver has changed to gold and the gold to silver. Two paper tubes are now made and placed over each pile, upon removal of which the coins are found to have changed back to their original positions.
Over the silver pile place a bottomless gold dummy, and over the gold pile place a bottomless silver dummy. Take two small pieces of paper and paste the edges together, enclosing between the paper a piece of tinfoil. Wrap the gold pile in this paper and place it on the table. Wrap up the other pile in a plain sheet. Move the hand quickly over the first pile, which you pick up, and drop the other in its place. Look confused, &c., pretending not to know which is which, then tear the paper to expose tinfoil. Cover the plates with handkerchiefs after placing piles on them, touch with wand, remove the handkerchiefs and papers, and reveal the coins (dummies). After exposing the tinfoil, keep that side of parcel to the rear, so that when the handkerchiefs are removed, same will not be observed. Throw unprepared paper where audience can get it, so that they will think the second paper unprepared also. Now take two other pieces of paper and form them into tubes, and double in the tops several times so that they will retain their shape (pinning them would not be a bad idea), and cover each pile with them. Touch the piles with the wand and remove the tubes with dummies, revealing coins in their original position, drop the "fake" on servante, and hand the tubes for examination. The author considers the above an extremely neat and effective trick, and no doubt the reader will add the same to his repertoire.