TUTORIAL: "Liquid Currency," Melting Coin Trick!

Imagine being able to melt a coin in your own two hands! Well guess what, it is easier than you think! Learn how to visually bend a coin in half and even melt your finger straight through it with this fun tutorial, "Liquid Currency."

Liquid Currency Tutorial

Effect:
    The magician removes a small coin purse from his pocket. Inside the purse are many small pieces of white paper. He removes one of the pieces of paper, holding it by the fingertips of his left hand. “These are wish papers,” he says as he places the purse back in his pocket. He then removes a lighter from his pocket, explaining that if you wish hard enough for something, your wish may come true. He lights the lighter and ignites the paper. In a brilliant flash, the paper vanishes and produces a half dollar coin. “Most people wish for money, as you can see. But be careful because it isn’t exactly as tangible as you may think.” The magician shows that the coin can indeed bend between his fingertips showing that it isn’t 100% solid. He blows on the coin, allowing it to finally reach a solid state, and hands it to a spectator. “It almost feels real, doesn’t it?” continues the magician as the spectator tries their best to bend and break the coin. The magician takes the coin back and removes the lighter from his pocket once more. “If we simply heat up the coin, we can return it to its softer state, making it more fun and interesting.” 

    The magician lights the lighter and heats up the coin. He places the lighter in his pocket as he explains, “Now that the coin is soft again, I can do cool things like this!” The magician puts pressure on the coin with his index finger and, slowly, his finger begins to penetrate through the coin. He puts his finger completely through the coin, right up to the second knuckle. He shows that his finger is indeed passing through the coin, allowing the spectators to see both sides. He then pulls the coin off of his finger, blows on it to dry, and hands it to the spectator completely whole. The spectator examines the coin, and just as before, it cannot be bent or broken. “Let’s try it one last time,” says the magician as he removes the lighter from his pocket and hands it to the spectator. The spectator lights it as the magician waves the coin over the flame. The magician then holds the coin between the thumb, first and middle finger of both hands. He puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the coin as it begins to slowly bend in the middle. He bends the coin to a 90 degree angle and blows on it to cool it down. The coin is handed back to the spectator, this time with a 90 degree bend down the middle. The spectator is unable to remove the bend from the coin. 

Set-up:
   Items required: 1 half dollar coin, 1 “finger through coin” gimmick that matches the half dollar coin, 1 half dollar coin with a 90 degree bend, 1 coin purse, 1 lighter, and a sheet of flash paper. (WARNING* Use extreme caution when using flame effects or flash paper. Ignite flash paper at a safe distance from the spectators. Be aware of those around you, and do not ignite the paper if there is any danger of personal harm or of harm to others.) Begin by placing the half dollar coin into your left trouser pocket. Tear the sheet of flash paper into tiny pieces (about the size of your thumbnail) and place them into the coin purse. Then place the coin purse into your left trouser pocket (same pocket as the half dollar coin). Place the “finger though coin” gimmick in your right trouser pocket. Put the half dollar coin with the 90 degree bend (the “bent coin” gimmick) into your right coat pocket. Finally, place the lighter into your inside left coat pocket.

Explanation: 
    Begin by reaching your hand into your left trouser pocket. Grab the half dollar coin and place it into “Finger Palm,” holding it between the first and second knuckles of your left middle and ring fingers. Grab the purse with your left thumb and index finger and remove it from your pocket while concealing the coin in “Finger Palm.” Open the purse and transfer it to the thumb and index fingers of the right hand. Use the thumb and index fingers of the left hand to  reach inside and remove a piece of flash paper.

    Place the purse into your inside left coat pocket and remove the lighter. Light the lighter and ignite the flash paper. As the flash paper is burning, quickly slide the coin up to the fingertips using your left thumb, creating the illusion of a the coin magically appearing out of the flash paper. Place the lighter into your right trouser pocket (with the “finger through coin” gimmick) and explain that the coin is not as  tangible as they may think. Grip the coin on both sides and quickly bend your hands inwards and outwards, giving the illusion that the coin is bending between your fingertips.

     Blow on the coin and explain that you are cooling it down. Hand the coin to the spectator to examine it. Reach into your right trouser pocket and place the “finger through coin” gimmick into “Finger Palm,” holding it between the first and second knuckles of  your right middle and ring fingers. Grab the lighter with your right thumb and index finger and remove it from your pocket while concealing the “finger through coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm,” Light the lighter and place it under the coin while explaining that you are making it soft again. Place the lighter into your right coat pocket (with the “bent coin” gimmick) while still concealing the “finger through coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm.” Hold the half dollar coin in “French Drop” position in the left hand, holding it by the edges between your left thumb and fingertips.
    Perform a “Spellbound” color change by covering  the coin in the left hand with the right hand. At the same time, allow the coin in the left hand to fall into “Finger Palm” and grab the “finger through coin” gimmick with the left thumb and fingertips, holding it in “French Drop” position. Adjust the grip of your right thumb and index fingers so that they are pinching the sides of the “finger through coin” gimmick, concealing the hole. Move the coin into your  right hand. 

    Pinch the side of the coin with the left thumb and index finger (while holding the half dollar in “Finger Palm”) as you slowly push your right index finger through the hole in the “finger through coin” gimmick. Slowly slide the “finger through coin” gimmick up to the second knuckle of the right index finger and show that your finger is passing completely through the coin. Slowly pull the “finger through  coin” gimmick off of your finger until it sits just below the first knuckle at the tip of your right index finger. Turn your left hand palm-down, covering the “finger through coin” gimmick with the fingers of your left hand. Curl your right index finger in and use your right thumb to remove the “finger through coin” gimmick. Clip the gimmick with your right thumb and extend your right index finger.   

    Close your left hand around your index finger and  pretend to remove the coin. Turn your left hand palm up and open it, revealing the half dollar coin. Allow the “finger through coin” gimmick to fall into “Finger Palm” in the right hand, holding it between the first and second knuckles of your right middle and ring fingers. Pick up the half dollar coin with your right thumb and index finger while concealing the “finger through coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm” in the right hand. Blow on the coin as though you are cooling it off and hand it to a spectator for examination. Place both hands into your trouser pockets and take a step back as the spectators examine the coin. Remove your hands from your pockets, leaving the “finger through coin” gimmick in the right trouser pocket.     Grab the coin back from the spectator and explain  that you would like to try one last thing. Hold the coin by the fingertips of the left hand and reach into your right coat pocket. Place the “bent coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm” in the right hand, holding it between the first and second knuckles of your right middle and ring fingers. 

    Grab the lighter with your right index finger and  thumb and remove it from your pocket while concealing the “bent coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm” in the right hand. Light the lighter and pretend to “heat up” the coin in the left hand one more time. Place the lighter into the right coat pocket while still concealing the “bent coin” gimmick in “Finger Palm.” Hold the half dollar coin in “French Drop” position in the left hand, holding it by the edges between your left thumb and fingertips. Perform a “French Drop” by covering the coin in the left hand  with the fingers of the right hand. Allow the coin in the left hand to fall into “Finger Palm,” while simultaneously sliding the “bent coin” gimmick up to the fingertips. 

    Allow the left hand to drop to your side as you display the “bent coin” gimmick to the audience. (NOTE* Be careful not to push the coin too far forward in the fingertips, so as not to expose the bend. Instead, try to show as much of the face of the coin as possible.) Bring the left hand  back up and pinch the side of the “bent coin” gimmick with your left index finger, middle finger and thumb. Pull the corner of the “bent coin” gimmick towards you, creating the illusion that the coin is bending. Then turn the “bent coin” gimmick around so that the mouth end is towards the audience. Again, pinch the side of the “bent coin” gimmick with your left index finger, middle finger, and thumb. Push the corner of the “bent coin” gimmick towards the spectators. 

    After you have finished bending the coin, blow on the “bent coin” and hand it to a spectator to examine. Take a step back and place both hands in your trouser pockets, dropping the half dollar coin into your left trouser pocket. You are now completely clean.
 

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