John Cornelius - Fickle Nickle

JOHN CORNELIU’S “FICKLE NICKLE” Effect The magician, with his sleeves rolled up, displays a coin in his open left hand. His fingers now slowly close over the coin, and when the hand is reopened, the coin has vanished! Now, with the fingers spread wide apart, the hand is slowly turned over, showing no trace of the coin on the back side of the hand. The coin has apparently vanished completely! The hand is again closed, and when opened the missing coin has returned! Items supplied (1) a “practice” model, consisting of a nickel attached to a strong “visible” thread (2) a “working” model, complete with hollo Remove coin from right trousers rocket with the right hand, and show it, holding coin between thumb and forefinger, back of hand toward audience, and fingers pointed toward floor. Since the vanish and reappearance of the nickel occurs in the left hand, it is essential that the thread be looped over the left wrist as in figure # 2. This is accomplished as follows: the left hand moves to the right, under the thread, and moves to the back of the right hand. This action can be justified by the left hand adjusting the right sleeve, or, if you happen to be left handed, by moving the watchband slightly. Any “natural” looking motion can be used in getting the thread arranged properly on the left hand. Next, three things happen: (a) the left hand turns palm upward; (b) the left hand moves slightly to the left; (c) the coin is placed on the palm of the left hand (the position of the hand and coin as shown in figure # 3.) Slowly close the fingers of the left hand over the coin as shown in figures # 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The closed left fist now turns “clockwise” (inward) so that the back of the hand is toward the audience, as shown in figures # 8, 9, and 10. Now, give the left hand a slight “magical” shake, and slowly move the left hand away from the body, loosening your grip on the coin. By so doing you will feel the coin being slowly pulled out of the hand (figures # 10, 11). When you see the edge of the coin emerging from the back of the hand, slowly turn the hand back to its original position (as shown in figures # 12 and 13). It is important that these moves be practiced before a mirror, as the angle of the hand, and the position of the coin are very important. Now slowly open the fingers, one at a time, and then the thumb, showing the hand to be completely empty (figures m 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18). Now, with the fingers spread wide apart, slowly turn the left hand clock-wise, and show the back of the hand. (figures # 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24)

(this effect is created by allowing the weight of the coin to hang “out of sight” of the audience as your hand is turned.) Now reverse the motion, so as to show the palm of the hand again. (this is done to prove to the skeptic that the coin has actually vanished.) Hand is again turned, back toward the audience, and the fingers of the left hand close over the coin, as in figure 9. To conclude the maneuver, the left hand is again turned counter clockwise until the palm of the hand is facing the audience. Now slowly open the hand, showing that the coin has mysteriously returned: All that is left to do now is to put the coin back into the right hand. This 15 accomplished as follows: the left hand closes over the coin and the hand is turned clockwise, and downward, so that the knuckles face the floor. This permits the coin to fall from the palm to the fingertips -- and allows the thread to drop clear of the left hand: