Learn Dime & Penny

Learning Page for the Dime & Penny Illusion

The Effect
Magically make forty-one cents turn into thirty-one cents.

The Setup
You are supplied with a gimmicked coin. The gimmicked coin looks like a regular a coin; however, it is made of two parts, an insert and a shell.

You will now have two pieces, a shell Penny and a special insert with a Penny on one side and a Dime on the other side. You will also need a regular Nickel and a regular Quarter.

Performance
Place the gimmicked Dime/Penny insert on the table with the Dime side up. To the right of that, place the Penny shell, followed by the regular Nickel and the regular Quarter. The coins should be about an inch apart, see Fig. 1. Ask the spectator how much money is on the table. The spectator will say, “Forty-one cents.” Now, push the coins into a pile from right to left, see Fig. 2. Ask your spectator again how much money is in the pile. They will answer once again, “Forty-one cents.” Note: When you stack the coins together, gently apply pressure to the stack of coins to force the shell over the gimmicked insert. Now, spread the coins out and reveal that you magically made forty-one cents turn into thirty-one cents. Note: Only three coins will remain.