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Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring
·
Professor Hoffmann
216
CHAPTER
VI.
PRINCIPLES
OF
SLEIGHT-OF-HAND
MORE
ESPECIALLY
APPLICABLE
TO
COIN
TRICKS.
Before
attempting
tricks
with
coin,
it
will
be
necessary
for
the
student
to
practise
certain
sleights
and
passes
which
more
especially
belong
to
this
particular
branch
of
the
magic
art,
though
the
sleight-of-hand
used
in
“coin
tricks”
is
more
or
less
applicable
to
most
other
small
objects.
The
principles
which
we
have
given
for
card
tricks
will
not
here
be
of
any
direct
assistance
to
the
student;
but
the
readiness
of
hand
and
eye
which
he
will
have
acquired,
if
he
has
diligently
put
in
practice
the
instructions
already
given,
will
be
of
great
value
to
him
as
a
preliminary
training,
and
it
may
safely
be
predicted
that
any
person
who
is
a
first-rate
performer
with
cards
will
find
little
difficulty
in
any
other
branch
of
the
art.
The
first
faculty
which
the
novice
must
seek
to
acquire
is
that
of
“palming”--i.e.,
secretly
holding
an
object
in
the
open
hand
by
the
contraction
of
the
palm.
To
acquire
this
power,
take
a
half-crown,
florin,
or
penny
(these
being
the
most
convenient
in
point
of
size),
and
lay
it
on
the
palm
of
the
open
hand.
(See
Fig.
59.)
Now
close
the
hand
very
slightly,
and
if
you
have
placed
the
coin
on
the
right
spot
(which
a
few
trials
will
quickly
indicate),
the
contraction
of
the
palm
around
its
edges
will
hold
it
securely
(see
Fig.
60),
and
you
may
move
the
hand
and
arm
in
any
direction
without
fear
of
dropping
it.
You
should
next
accustom
yourself
to
use
the
hand
and
fingers
easily
and
naturally,
while
still
holding
the
coin
as
described.
A
very
little
practice
will
enable
you
to
do
this.
You
must
bear
in
mind
while
practising
always
to
keep
the
inside
of
the
palm
either
downwards
or
towards
your
own
body,
as
any
reverse
movement
would
expose
the
concealed
coin.
When
you
are
able
to
hold
the
coin
comfortably
in
the
right
hand,
practise
in
like
manner
with
the
left,
after
which
you
may
substitute
for
the
coin
a
watch,
an
egg,
or
a
small
lemon--all
these
being
articles
of
frequent
use
in
conjuring.
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