1. Coins issued in France as Fleur-de-Coin are in what condition?

2. The letter C and numeral 3 correspond to which Federal Reserve Bank?

3. Improper advancement of strip through a blanking press, causing overlapping punches, causes what error?

4. Who did Jimmy Carter appoint as Director of the US Mint?

5. Who edited the “ANA Grading Guide for United States Coins”?

Answers

1. Mint State or uncirculated 2. Philadelphia 3. Incomplete planchets or clips 4. Stella Hackel (later Stela Hackel Sims) 5. Kenneth Bressett and A. Kosoff

Here’s a guest post I thought you’d enjoy explaining how to perform some coin magic tricks.

Imagine the fun you can create when you make a fellow collector’s coins magically disappear. But don’t worry, we’ll show you how to make them reappear before the police are called! Next time you’re at a numismatic get-together, try a few of these amazing coin tricks.

The Basic Coin Vanish

You’re seated with a friend at dinner. After dessert you ask to borrow a coin, preferably an 1895 Morgan Silver Dollar Proof, but a quarter will do. Drop it inside your dinner napkin, flick your wrist and snap the napkin in the air. The coin vanishes! Ask your friend to look under your coffee cup. He’ll be amazed when he sees the coin has magically reappeared.

Here’s how to do it. You’ll need a handkerchief or cloth napkin, a rubber band and an extra quarter (or an extra 1895 Morgan Silver Dollar Proof, if you happen to have one sitting around). Before you officially start the trick, wrap a rubber band around the fingers and thumb of your left hand. The rubber band should be snug but loose enough to let you open your fingers a little. Drape the handkerchief over your upright left hand and borrow a coin. Now jam the coin in the handkerchief and into circle formed by the rubber band, creating a little trap for the coin. Slide the rubber band off your fingers so that the coin is trapped inside the handkerchief. Make some magical gestures, wiggle your fingers and arch your eyebrow as you whisk the handkerchief off your hand with the quarter trapped inside the rubber band pocket. It’s a starling vanish. Put the handkerchief out of sight before they notice the odd little bulge where the coin is hidden. Point to your coffee cup and ask your spectator to lift it, revealing the coin. How to make it reappear under your coffee cup? That’s where the duplicate coin comes in. You’re going to have to sneak it under the cup before you start the trick. The secret is to not make a move out of it. Don’t mention that you’re about to do a trick. Wait for your for an opportune moment, perhaps when your dining companion check his cell phone or is looking at the dessert menu. The rest is showmanship.

Heads Up!

This one is more of a practical joke than a magic trick, but it’s lots of fun nonetheless. Take a small coin like a penny or dime a put just a tiny a drop of water on it. Place the wet side of the coin against your forehead and wrinkle your brow, causing the coin to drop off your head and in to the palm of your hand. Your friend will be sure to ask you what you’re doing. Say, “It looks easy, but I bet you can’t do it.” When your friend agrees to the challenge, place the moistened coin against his head and press it on firmly. Hold the coin against his head for a moment and secretly take it away as you direct his attention to his palm up hand. He won’t notice it missing; in fact it will feel as if it is still there. Tell him, “You can’t touch the coin. You have to take it off by wiggling your eyebrows and catch it in your hand.” Your friend will stand there making the strangest faces as he tries in vain to dislodge a coin that isn’t where he thinks it is. It’s a funny trick to do when you’re out with a group.

Another Magical Coin Vanish

Borrow a coin from your friend, assuming you have any left after that last trick. Take the coin in your right hand bend the left arm and pretend to rub the coin into the elbow, but in doing so, appear to accidentally drop the coin to the floor. Pick it up with your left hand and pretend to place it in your right hand. Pretend you hold the coin in your right hand as you rub the imaginary coin into your elbow, all the while explaining how you’re attempting to charge the coin with static electricity. While focusing the viewer’s attention on your right hand, drop the coin into the collar of your shirt. Slowly take your right hand away from your elbow to reveal the coin is gone.

Paper Vanish

The only trouble with doing a great magic trick is figuring out what to do when your friends want to see another. You shouldn’t repeat a trick for your audience because you lose the element of surprise and that makes it easier for them to figure out how it’s done. That’s why we’re teaching you a variety of methods. One of the cleanest and simplest coin vanishes uses just one coin and a piece of paper. Take small piece of paper about 2” by 3” and place a coin in the center. Hold the paper upwards so that the coin is out of view of your spectator and held by your left thumb against the center of the paper. Fold the paper back over the coin so that the paper is almost folded in half, but leave it off center by about a quarter of an inch. Fold the sides of the paper outwards and flatten them down with the quarter inside the packet. Next, turn the packet upward and fold down the last side outwards. While it seems like you’ve trapped the coin inside a sealed packet it can easily slip out the secret opening. Hold the packet firmly by the open side and let the spectator feel the coin inside. Press down on the paper so that the shape of the coin leaves an impression on the paper. This will make it appear that the coin is still inside even after you’ve snuck it out. Put the packet into your right hand with the secret opening down so the coin can slip out when you’re ready. Tap the coin on the table so it can be heard. Transfer it back to your left hand and as you do let the coin slip out of the packet and into your fingers. Ask the spectator if he has a match or a lighter and put your right hand into your pocket to retrieve one, leaving the coin behind. Light the packet on fire and let drop it onto a plate. After the paper turns to ashes, the coin will seem to have vanished into the smoke. If burning the paper isn’t practical just tear it into tiny bits and toss them into the air like confetti. It’s magic!

Be sure to take the time to practice these tricks in front of a mirror before you try them out in public. The author is a professional magician in Long Island. He performs magic shows in New York City and Long Island.

1. Name the four major types of copper-nickel 5-cent pieces

2. Britain’s 1984 1-pound coin features what plant?

3. Of the men seen on Series 1981A notes, who was the last to die?

4. To qualify as a fragment error, what two requirements must be met?

5. Who sculptured the statue that appears on the obverse of the 1984 Olympic dollar?

Answers

1. Shield, Liberty Head, Indian Head, Jefferson 2. A thistle 3. Ulysses S. Grant 4. The fragment must weigh less than 25% of the normal coin and be struck on both sides 5. Robert Graham

1. What way does Jefferson face on the 5-cent-piece?

2. Coins with the words Republik Osterreich come from what country?

3. How many coins are in a 1964 US Proof set?

4. When did the Mint in Canada get its start?

5. What colors are the security fibers used in Federal Reserve notes?

Answers

1. Left 2. Austria 3. Five 4. 1908 5. Red and blue

I’ve gotten emails from some of you regarding my recent post about NumisNetwork. Thanks to those who wrote in, and as a reminder, you’re all welcome to email me with questions or feedback. It helps me to know what you find useful and what’s less so.

The emails wanted to find out more about why I didn’t recommend joining NumisNetwork. My response to them, and you, is two-fold.

First, I don’t trust MLMs. This article does a great job of explaining the problems with them. In short, they’re not sustainable and don’t benefit their members in the long run.

Second, collectors can assemble a great collection of coins without NumisNetwork. Collecting on your own lets you maintain a budget. If times are tight and you want to stop buying coins for a month or two, you can. With NumisNetwork, you’ll keep getting the monthly coin (and paying for it) whether you want to or not.

I was surprised by the response of one member of NumisNetwork who had done their homework. They felt they were getting a good deal, apart from the MLM, in receiving a PCGS MS-70 Silver Eagle for $90 each month. They felt it was a good way to add to their collection. I was dubious about it being a good deal at first and looked on eBay to see how much recent auctions had gone for. As you can see below, it’s not a bad deal. You might get it for a tad cheaper, but you might have to pay a little more.

In summary, I’d rather pay a little more to have the ability to pick and choose what I buy, but that’s my personal preference. If you’ve compared deals and knowingly sign up with NumisNetwork, I applaud you and hope it’s a great experience. For those who are unsure how to get involved in coin collecting, I still maintain that NumisNetwork isn’t the best way.

Oh, and for those knuckleheads who keep spamming the forum with posts asking people to join NumisNetwork, let’s call a truce :)

The Exciting Announcement

Drumroll please…

I’m writing my very first eBook and it will be available to buy on this site in the very near future. I’ve been working on it for the past few weeks. What was originally going to be a weekend task has taken much longer. I have a problem with never being happy with my work. I know it’s never going to be perfect, but I get in an endless cycle of writing and revising. I’m really excited to see what you guys (and gals) think and that’s motivating me to accept that it’s good enough to release. And I remind myself that I can always update it with improvements and additions later on.

To celebrate the eBook launch I’m giving some books and a coin away for free (you don’t have to buy an eBook to win something). If you’re not already on the list, make sure you subscribe to have a chance at the free stuff.

Happy collecting!