I emailed Penguin about this great trick, but I received no reply.

On the demo he uses a green card. I don't like that. Do you have to use the green card? Or can you use a bicycle or other common card?

Help is appreciated.

ive seen that trick. Its really good. But, throught the many times ive seen a magician do it, you cant examine the coins. If you want to know a good impromptu method that I made up, PM me.

the green card is necessary unforuanately, but with a litle move at the end, the coins are actually inspectable

you can examine the coins at the end and yes you need to use that card they give you. there might be soem suspcion buit at the end you can show that there is nothing specail about it. i hear that you can get them in bicycle but i have checked.

i love this trick and you should definately buy it

You have to use the card that comes with it. You can buy the required type of card in Bicycle stock but it's easier to just make your own.

I perform this trick ALL the time. In my presentation I ask the spectators if they collect anything and I tell them that I collect things that have to do with magic. (coins and cards) I let them inspect the coins and the card and tell them that the card is an old-style playing card. No one ever challenges me on this. I do the trick on their hand and let them inspect everything again. They get to inspect everything before and after the trick and it happens in their hands. It looks like pure magic. (And for all you "workers" out there, it resets instantly) I love it.

I like that idea.

You can buy another card that is similar in design... owners will know what I mean.

You can buy whole decks of the same back design that comes with Lethal Tender in Red or Green...they're called "Kling Cards". Do a search on google.com and you'll find 'em. I think they sell for about $11 bucks a deck.

The card's way too fishy for my tastes... even the bicycle variety. I just hide the card in the packet that it comes in. It's pretty clean that way. Just pull the coins out of this thing in which you keep your coin collection. Then do the routine using the packet thingy. That silly card makes no appearance in my presentation. By the design of the packet-thingy, the makers of the trick must have anticipated this.

Huh? You smack the coin with the plastic envelope with the card inside it and that looks better than using the card itself? I dunno. What do you do with the other coin (the non-smacker)? Put it in their closed hand? I really never get questioned about these "kitchen drawer" style cards. It surprises me how many people are insistant on using Bikes. I think most people relate to these kind of cards 'cause thats what they have at home anyway (for when the relatives come over on the holidays to play Michigan Rummy).

I think it relates to uniformity. Let's say you're doing a close-up routine where you're using Bikes/Bees/Tally Ho's/whatever, and you throw in a few coin tricks like Lethal Tender that require that special card...wouldn't it seem awfully odd to bust out with a whole different card back/face just to do a few coin tricks? Don't you think suspicion would arise? If you used cards like you've been using all along there'd be no reason to suspect the card/s!

Or let's say you do Lethal Tender first in your routine, then move on to some card tricks...wouldn't suspicion arise if you switched to different card backs/faces?

In both cases the spectators are going to wonder why you're using different cards for different tricks...therefore suspicion is thrown directly on the card/s.

See my point?

Precisely, Frijid... I can't do 3 card tricks using red bikes and then pull out this tiny shiny number and not be frustrated if the spec wants to see the card.

Pugdaddy,
My presentations:
1. Put both in my hand. Remove a coin from my closed fist and place it on the back of thier hand. Open the envelope to show it's empty (casually, without any real purpose). Then smack their coin and they've instantly changed places.; Or

2. Use a card box and tell the story of Houdini and Bess doing metamorphasis. Put both in the box. Explain that would be too racy for those days. Ask spec to pick either Houdini or Bess. Pull out the fifty center. Set it on box. Use the envelope as Houdini's curtain, and they instantly change places.

In both cases, you have AMPLE time to palm off anything suspicious. In one case, they have to open thier hands and examine the two coins. In the other example, they have to open the card box. You should be able to steal the spec's shoes and drop them in your pocket, there's so much misdirection going on.

Those are my thoughts.

Thanx Frijid. I get your point. I guess the reason this does not usually come into play with me is because I usually do a mixed bag of stuff. Plus it is usually a buddy of mine (the guy that got me startd in magic about 6 mo.s ago) who does most of the card tricks. We sort of work (I should say play) together and take turnsdoing tricks for people. Sort of a rapid fire approach. When we get our third guy with us I call it our "three ring circus". Baxter. I LIKE IT! Especially the one with the box. Now that would look hokie if you used the green card with a Bike box or the like. Thanks for the tips guys. I'm always lookin for new ideas. Thats the best part about these boards as far as I'm concerned. Sharing ideas.

I like that!...or you could fashion your patter around Johnathan and Charlotte Pendragon's Metamorphosis. Pretty much the same as Houdini and Bess but more up to date.