Modern Coin Manipulation
by Thomas Nelson Downs

$4.50

(1 review, 11 customer ratings) ★★★★★

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Modern Coin Manipulation by Thomas Nelson Downs

Learn coin magic from the best coin manipulator ever - the "King of Koins". T. Nelson Downs' original "Miser's Dream" is still unsurpassed. He invented many other new and innovative moves. The unique feature of this book is that it includes many photos of the hands of Downs detailing every important sequence in a move. He also offers helpful tips on presentation, patter, and other techniques. Another excellent book by T. Nelson Downs is The Art of Magic.

1st edition, 1900?, Hamley Brothers, London?; 1999 reprinted under the title "Classic Coin Tricks" by Dover Publishing, New York; 244 pages.

CHAPTER I. T. NELSON DOWNS, "KING OF KOINS."
1. An appreciation and outline of his career by W. J. H.
CHAPTER II. "THE MISER'S DREAM."
1. Description of the act
2. Continuous Fron and Back Hand Palm
3. Latest improvements in connection with same
4. Method of getting first stack of coins into hat
5. The apparent "catching" of the coins
6. Passing coin through bottom of hat
7. Passing coin through side of hat
8. Coin thrown in the air and invisibly caught in hat
9. Manner of getting a second load into hat
10. Method for continuing the "catching" after second load is exhausted
11. Production of any number of coins at finger tips
12. To pass a coin through the knees
13. The "Elusive" Pass
14. New "Change Over Palm"
15. Downs' new "Click" Pass
16. Ten coins passing into tumbler
17. Downs' new "Fan" Pass
18. Downs' "Eureka" Pass
19. The "Turnover" with 40 coins
20. Three distinct methods of palming coins at the same time
21. To palm and make the pass with 40 coins
22. To produce same in a shower from the vest
CHAPTER III. A SERIES OF ABSOLUTELY NEW AND ORIGINAL COIN VANISHES AND PASSES.
1. Methods for causing the disappearance of one coin
2. With the aid of a piece of hair
3. Vanishing coin from handkerchief
4. Coin vanish with the aid of the vest
5. Disappearance of a coin while lying on the table
6. Coin vanish with the aid of the outside of sleeve
7. Coin vanish with the aid of the trousers pocket
8. Novel pass with a coin
9. New back palm idea
10. The sleeve vanish
11. The sleeve vanish in conjunction with back palm
12. The coin and tumbler
13. Novel adaption of the "rattle box" idea
14. A rapid pass with six coins
15. Disappearing pile of coins
CHAPTER IV. MISCELLANEOUS COIN TRICKS, ILLUSIONS, AND COMBINATIONS.
1. The equilibrium of silver
2. To pass 20 coins from one hand to the other
3. Quadruple coin
4. Gold versus silver
5. The transmutation of metals
6. Vanishing coins from goblet
7. Multiplying coins (sleight-of-hand method)
8. New coin production from bare hands
9. The money-producing cigarette
10. The coin of Phoenix
11. New money-producing card
12. The marvellous transit of coins
13. Novel appearing coin
14. The new crystal target
15. The flying coins
16. The "Downs" goblet of mystery
17. The mysterious claret glass
18. Magnetized coins
19. The demon goblet
20. The silver question
21. Handkerchief as money producer
22. New money-producing candle
23. The dematerialization of 30 coins
24. Coin passing through a table, &c
25. The crystal coin ladder
26. The travelling coin
27. The sixteen to one silver trick
28. The fusible coins
CHAPTER V. MECHANICAL DEVICES FOR PERFORMING "THE MISER'S DREAM."
Coin with wire loop
Coin with attachment for first finger
Single spider "fake"
Single spider "fake" (differently constructed)
The "Hilliar" coin spider fake
Coin holders
New coin dropper for hat
Coin caught on rim of the hat
Apparatus enabling performer to easily palm 50 coins
New vest coin dropper
New vest coin dropper (differently constructed)
CHAPTER VI. ADDITIONAL COIN TRICKS.
1. The coin of Mercury
2. The coin cornucopia
3. The obedient coins
4. The coin and paper tube
5. An old trick improved
6. A good coin trick
7. To tell date on borrowed coin
8. Entirely new pass with 25 coins
9. The new glass coin jar
10. The winged coin
11. New coins and die
CHAPTER VII.
1. Koincluding observations

word count: 29307 which is equivalent to 117 standard pages of text

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Reviewed by Miguel Martin (confirmed purchase)
★★★★★ Date Added: Thursday 29 September, 2005

I'm new to coin magic and to sleight based magic. When I found this book, my main hope was that it would give me enough basic information to start with, but after reading most of it, I've found that it wasn't written for a beginner. I also got Jean Hugard's Coin Magic and JB Bobo's Modern Coin Magic - both are better for beginners. Modern Coin Manipulation is often very difficult to read, as the English sounds dated now. There are some really good sections that would probably be very interesting to anyone curious about past magicians/acts. Downs was obviously a master at his art - back palming 40 half dollars should be proof of that - but the passages don't really come across as simple, clear teaching. The most frustrating aspect of this book was that the illustrations were usually 4 + pages after the text that referenced them. Flipping back and forth gets kinda old fast in this case. All in all, a great deal for 4.50 - but it wasn't the be-all, end-all I secretly hoped for.

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