Later Day Tricks
A. Roterberg
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Coins and Plate
IN "The Modern Wizard" an explanation will be found of a very appropriate finale to the ever popular trick of catching out of the air a large quantity of coins, which are dropped into a borrowed hat. In the trick referred to the coins thus produced were poured on an ordinary plate, which was covered by a small sheet of paper, upon removal of which the coins were found to have flown.
In the variation of the trick that I am about to describe practically the same conditions as in the first method prevail. A plate placed on the table, near its rear edge. a second plate or bowl on the servante of the latter, and a small sheet of paper, just large enough to cover the plate, constitute the necessary paraphernalia. After the conjurer has caught a sufficient quantity of coins and dropped them into the hat, he turns up the sweat band of the latter and tilting the hat towards himself so that the coins will slide to one end, inverts it on the plate, apparently pouring the coins into the latter. In reality however he allowed the coins to fall into the plate on the servante. If this sleight is executed with a proper amount of dexterity, the illusion will be found to be a perfect one.
Removing the hat with one hand, the other hand, which has meanwhile picked up the sheet of paper, immediately places it over the plate, to prevent the spectators from seeing that it really is empty. The performer then seizes the plate, which is still covered and asks the spectators whether they would like to take home the coins as souvenirs. After having received an almost unanimous reply in the affirmative, the conjurer quickly removes the paper and pretends to toss the contents of the really empty plate out to the audience.
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