The Miser's Dream as I Do It
by T. Nelson Downs

Of the many feats of magic, the so-called Miser's Dream or Aerial Treasury has always been my favorite, and with it I have been able to achieve an international reputation. Needless to say, the basic idea of this conjuring classic is very old and has been performed countless ways by countless scores of artists for a hundred years or more.

My own success in connection with the trick has been the result of a certain style of presentation, plus certain sleights and moves of my own origination. Many of these later are described for the first time in this article and it will be interesting for the reader to compare At with the original descriptions to be found in my book: "Modern Coin Manipulation." Time brings improvement

Properties and preparation: I use about thirty-six half-dollar size palming coins. I prefer the usual Roterberg coin and find it advisable to smooth them by rubbing on a piece of carborundum. Also used is the familiar Kellar coin producer or holder, obtainable from all dealers. Remove the metal clip as it is not needed. The only other item is a hat. This I sometimes borrow, but more frequently I use a folding opera hat, to the bottom of which, on the inside, is riveted a circular piece of thin brass painted dead black. This, acting as a sounding board, materially increases the sound of the dropping coins.

The Kellar holder, loaded with about twenty coins, is placed in my right trouser pocket. In the left trouser pocket are the remaining coins.

Presentation: I pick up the folded opera hat and show it in my left hand. Right hand nonchalantly goes into my pocket and palms out the loaded holder. The hat is transferred to my right hand and snapped open by hitting it against the palm of the left hand.

The holder is held clipped under the edge of the brim, which enables me to display the interior of the hat and also my left hand. The hat, together with the holder, is transferred to the left hand and the right is displayed. This is repeated whilst making introductory remarks. This freedom in handling the hat and the load is only made possible by using the Kellar holder.

Finally, the holder is clipped by the left fingers inside the hat against the sweatband in the approved position. The production now commences. The right hand reaches into the air and pretends to catch a coin, which in apparently tossed into the hat. Simultaneously, a coin is released from the holder with the left forefinger. I remove a coin from the hat display and then apparently toss it back. In reality, of course, the coin is palmed and another coin is released from the holder.

I shall not go into a detailed description of the catching procedure as it is familiar to all. The secret, of course, is to vary the operation as much as possible and, above all, to dramatize it to the fullest extent.

I will, however, submit a couple of original wrinkles that greatly enhance the production. As a coin is released from the holder sharply lift the hat upward a few inches. This greatly increases the impact of the coin and greater sound results. Another move I use to secure the same result to this: After producing a palmed coin at the fingertips, deliberately draw it with considerable force into the hat. As the coin leaves the fingers, the hand must he almost out of sight in the hat so that when the coin hits, the left hand releases another one from the holder which is forthwith palmed in the right hand in readiness for production. I do this intermittently through the routine and find that it puzzles people who know a thing or two. This sleight requires timing but is simple enough to learn easily.

TO vary the production an much as possible I, of course, pass a coin through the bottom of the hat. That is very old business but my method is a bit different. I hold the coin against the hat and between the first finger and thumb. Now exerting a slight pressure causes the coin to swing on a pivot, so to speak, and out of sight behind the fingers. By all means try this simple move in front of a mirror to appreciate its singular illusion.

Another familiar and effective move is apparently to toss a coin high into the air and. a second later, catch it in the hat as it makes an invisible descent. Here again, my procedure is a bit different. The coin, as usual, is tossed into the air (really palmed) and the hat is held out in readiness to receive it. However, after a brief wait, the coin does not appear. I look at the audience puzzled. Then I turn my head right, still looking for it. At this point a coin is released and when it "hits", I turn and look at the hat in great surprise. Properly timed, this is a sure laugh.

By now I have produced about twenty coins in as varied a manner as possible. I start quite slowly and deliberately but gradually increase the tempo. I now introduce one of my favorite creations, the production of any number of coins called for at my fingertips. I stall a bit by talking and my left hand goes into the hat deliberately, palms out about sixteen coins and holds them clipped against the sweatband. I show my right hand and transfer the hat, but the sixteen coins (more or less) remain palmed in the right hand.

Suppose I am asked to produce eighteen coins--this is two more than I have palmed, but it doesn't matter. The coins are palmed overlapping a bit and are produced one at a time in a fan held between the first fingers and thumb. Proceed as follows: The third finger pulls away one coin from the rest and assisted by the second finger brings it into view between the first finger and thumb. This is repeated so that the second coin suddenly joins the first with a noisy "clink." This is repeated with the remainder. It requires a very considerable degree of practice to do this neatly but, as the old saying goes, the student will be amply repaid for his labors.

As stated above, if you have only, say, sixteen coins palmed and are required to produce eighteen, it doesn't matter. I bridge the difficulty by simply pretending to catch two coins at intervals and make the illusion perfect by snapping one of the coins already produced with the third finger. The extra sound is there even if the extra coin is not. At the conclusion of the production, I am holding a fan of coins between my thumb and first finger of the right hand. I now drop them singly into the hat, counting aloud as I do so. If I am "short" a few, a gesture is made of dropping them and simultaneously the right number are released singly from the left hand. This, properly done, is quite indetectable.

After the above, whenever time permits, I make a trip into the audience catching coins from their "whiskers" and elsewhere. As I step into the audience, I deliberately palm out the additional load of coins from the left trouser pocket so that I'm all set. While in the midst of the audience, I brazenly steal handfuls of coins from the hat and shake them from spectators' handkerchiefs, neckties, etc. To the average layman, this is the most marvelous part of the entire routine.

In any event I finish the trick by streaming a number of coins from a spectator's nose with the remark: "This gentleman always blows himself about this time of the evening."

My only purpose in writing this little article has been to reveal a few good things in connection with the grand old tricks which will never grow old.