Ted’s China Change Learning Page

www.tedssterlingmagic.com/product/china-change

Show both of your hands empty. Then take a Kennedy half dollar in one hand, show it, and close your hand around the coin. When you open your hand again, the half has changed into a REALISTIC CHINESE COIN that you can promptly toss into your other hand. Of course you can then pass the Chinese Coin out for examination.

The Basic Secret:

Here is a brief outline of the China Change secret. Show the half dollar either balanced on your fingertips or in the palm of your hand. Close your hand, turning it over has you do, and push the gimmick into the Classic Palm position (half dollar side against your palm.) Turn your hand over and open it to reveal that the half has changed to the Chinese coin. The flesh colored sticker in the gimmick makes this illusion very deceptive. Without waiting too long, toss the Chinese coin into your other hand while keeping he half dollar shell secretly palmed. Hand the Chinese coin out for examination and dispose of the half shell using your favorite method. If you wait, while your audience is busy inspecting the Chinese coin, simply put your hand into your pocket and leave the shell there.

The Classic Palm:

What is the Classic Palm? Take a regular half dollar and place it in the center of your palm. Relax your hand and turn it palm down. When the coins does not fall out, you have learned the basics of the Classic Palm. To try the Classic Palm turn your hand palm-up and fingers outstretched. Place the coin in the center of your palm. Now touch the tips of your ring finger and thumb together. Notice how this causes a pinching effect on the coin. If you turn your hand over now, the coin will not fall out. Keeping your hand pam down, slowly spread your thumb and ring finger apart doing your best to keep the coin pinched in the folds of your palm. Ideally, the Classic Palm is nothing more than described above, except for the fact that your hand should appear as if it were empty (that is not secretly pinching the coin.) Notice that in executing this palm, your pinch on the coin was firm when your thumber and fingertips were touching. As you slowly moved your thumb and finger apart, the pinch became less and less firm until finally, the coin fell from your hand. A coin is not heavy so there is no need to hold it tightly. Use only the minimum amount of pinch pressure necessary to hold it secretly in place. Anything more will tend to make your hand look awkward, tense and unnatural. Remember, when you’re palming a coin, your hand should look as natural as it would without the coin.

Back to China Change:

Start by displaying the half dollar in your outstretched left hand. It allows your audience to see that except for the half your hand is empty. With your right hand, slowly take the coin from your outstretched left hand. Continue by positioning it on the tips of your right middle and ring fingers in readiness for palming. Again, show your audience the coin, giving them extra time to see that your hand is otherwise empty. Locate the coin in the Classic palm position. Do this by simultaneously turning your hand and rotating your fingers inward your body, closing them into a fist as your do. Actually this move is very easy. Just concentrate on keeping the coin balanced on your fingertips until it reaches your palm. Then push the coin into the classic palm position. Turn your hand palm up, open it and reveal that the half has changed to a Chinese coin. To prevent your spectators from seeing any difference between the color of the insert and that of your hand, slowly move your hand back and forth in front of you’re as you show the Chinese coin. Show it in this manner for just a few seconds, then throw it into your other hand as described. The problem with the above throw is that a coin is a small object, something you would normally hold between your fingers and thumb if you were preparing to throw it. Practice the throw by first placing a coin in the palm of your outstretched hand (do not palm it). Now, turn your hand over. As you do, catch the coin between the tips of your thumb, index and middle fingers. From here, raise your hand to about chest level, turning it so that the backside of your hand faces to the side. Now, toss the coin into your empty hand. Notice that when you throw, you need to only release your grip on the coin just enough to let it slip from your fingertips. The momentum of the coin will take over from there, and after the throw is complete, your hand will be semi-closed. This is a very natural move. In any case, try it at least 25 times as described above (with one coin), then graduate to first show your hand palm down again: catching the Chinese coin between your thumb and fingertips as it falls from the palmed half shell. Toss it into your empty hand. Now that your can toss the Chinese coin from one hand to the other, while palming the shell, hand out the Chinese coin. While the spectators are examining the coin relax, retain the shell.