Modern Magic: A Practical Treatise on the Art of Conjuring

The performer, in making the motion of picking up the coins (with one hand), with the tip of the third finger pulls the pin d towards him. This withdraws the catch, and a instantly drops down to the bottom of the cylinder, carrying the coins with it. As soon as a reaches its lowest point, it draws down the pin e, thereby releasing a similar disc f, which, working laterally on a spring pivot at the edge of the opening, describes a semicircle, and assumes the position previously occupied by a, a portion of one side of the cylinder, at the top, being cut away to allow of its passage. Fig. 275 shows the trap in its first, and Fig. 276 in its second condition, the latter being, for greater clearness, drawn in section. The apparatus is rather complicated, and it is almost hopeless to endeavour to render it clearly intelligible by description only. In the absence of this special trap, the same object may be nearly as well effected with an ordinary trap by using half-crowns (be it remembered that it is always substitute coins which are made to disappear in this manner) which have been beeswaxed on both sides. A very slight pressure will cause a number of coins thus prepared to adhere together, and form for the time being a solid mass, which will fall through the trap without causing any “clink.” We next come to--