Ted’s Hopping Halves Learning Page

The Effect:  Both sides of a US Half Dollar (HD) and an English Penny (EP) are shown.  You remove the HD from your hand and place it into your pocket, but when you open your hand, both coins are still there. You remove the EP from your hand and place it into your pocket and again, when you open your hand, both coins are still there. Once more you remove the HD from your hand and place it into your pocket but when you open your hand both coins are still there. Now you very carefully remove only the EP form your hand showing both sides as you place it into your pocket, but this time when you open your hand, both coins are gone.

The Coins:  An HD shell which fits over a smaller HD coin and 2 EP shells which enclose a special coin that is an HD on one side and an EP on the other side.

The Assembly:  Please the HD shell over the corresponding side of the HD coin.  Place the special coin into the small EP shell so it appears to be an EP with heads on one side and tails on the other side.  Now place the large EP shell over the small shell and special coin with the special coin sandwiched between the two shells like this: [ | ]  It will appear to have heads on one side and tails on the other side. 

The Handling:  Hold one group of coins between the thumb and index finder of one hand with the shell on top and other group of coins between the thumb and the index finger of the other hand, again with the shell on top. Smoothly turn both hands over and back again to show the opposite sides of both coins. Don’t leave the hands turned over too long as this may end the trick.

Now place the EP group onto the base of the middle and ring fingers in one hand with the shell on top and place the HD group with the shell on top over the EP group.  With the opposite hand, reach into your hand and remove the HD shell while turning your hand over, concealing the remaining coins.  Show only the surface of the HD shell and place it into your pocket.  Open your hand and show both coins are still there.

This time, place the EP group with the shell side showing over the HD and remove the EP shell while turning your hand over concealing the remaining coins.  Place the EP shell into your pocket and open your hand showing both coins are still in your hand.

This next move is bold, but highly effective.  Hold the edges of the EP group between the four fingers grouped together and the thumb on the opposite edge of the remaining EP group with your hand facing up. Hold the HD the same way in the opposite hand. Show both sides of both coins while in this position by turning your hands over and back.  Draw attention to the HD as you place it into your pocket and at the same time relax the pressure of your thumb against the EP group and the special coin will drop out of the shell on to the base of your fingers, HD side up. As you lower your hand, lower the EP shell down offset but resting about half way of the top of the HD side of the special coin showing both coins are still there.

Close your hand so the EP shell again covers the HD side of the special coin, remove this group, showing both sides and place this into your pocket.  Open your hand and show that both coins are gone. 

Your copper coins will naturally tarnish.  To polish your coins use Distilled Vinegar and table salt in a solution.  Dip them in and remove quickly.  The rinse thoroughly in plain water.  Carefully dry at once.