#20 The Classic Coin From Ear

The Magician borrows a coin from a spectator. He tosses the coin from one hand into the other, blows on his closed fist, and slowly opens his fingers to show the coin has vanished. Where did it go? Looking towards a member of the audience, the magician reaches out and pulls the vanished coin from the spectator’s ear!! A Classic of Magic!!

You’ve seen it before, now learn how to perform it yourself!! Warning: Magic and Sleight of Hand involved!!

With this effect, you are always ready to show everyone you are a magician. If you mention to random strangers that you perform magic, they will say: “Can you show me something?” Well, from now on, you will be able to!

Have a coin in your pocket, but ask your audience if they have a coin. It is always better to use things the audience gives you. Once in an elevator going up to a show in an Oakville, Ontario apartment building I pulled out a coin and did this very trick. Once I was done, the guy said it was a tricky coin: even after he examined the coin. So, if the spectator has a coin, use theirs. You don’t want the audience to have an explanation – even it is not what you are doing!!

You can’t always use the audience’s stuff, so when you can, do. And if no one has a coin, then just reach into your pocket and offer it to someone to make sure they agree that it is ordinary.

This vanish of a coin is called a “retention” vanish. Simply said it means you retain the coin in your hand instead of placing it into the other hand. There are many ways to do this. The one I use in the video is accomplished by placing your thumb on the coin as you turn your hand palm down.

Misdirection means directing the audience’s attention where you want it to go. In this case, it means moving the hand you want the audience to follow. Hold both hands palm up. Move the hand with the coin in it towards the other hand and turn your hand over and put your thumb on the coin. When this hand touches the other hand, close your empty hand over it and then move the empty hand upwards as you leave the hand with the coin in it very still. The audience’s eyes should follow the empty hand believing the coin is in it.

Now the magic moment: slowly open your hand one finger at a time. Either from the baby finger across to the thumb or vise versa. See what feels best to you.

And there will be a moment of wonder, but it will not last long. So, open your hand and take a breath and now change the audience’s focus by looking and moving towards a new volunteer. Reach the hand with the coin, which should be held as open as possible while still retaining the coin by clipping the coin between the thumb and forefinger, behind the volunteer’s ear and make the coin reappear.

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Steve Baker is a magician located in the GTA residing North of Orangeville.

Since 1997, Steve has entertained adults and children at private functions and large public venues to amaze them with sleight of hand, strolling magic tricks, mentalism and fun characters from Shelburne to Oakville and from Long Sault to Petrolia in the “Keep it Beautiful” province of Ontario, Canada.