The moves in this interlude for the “close-up” man are child’s play once that you get the idea or knack. Every time, it seems, that I take out a dime and penny, no matter what the trick may be, there is somebody in the audience who is certain that I’m using the fake dime and penny, letting on to everybody about it in no uncertain terms. The trick has been capably exposed but in this case, not only the ones not in the know but the wise boys also get a beautiful fooling. And there are very few among us who haven’t a dime and penny set that we have discarded only because it has become too well known in our circle. The presentation has been arranged rather psychologically in order to lead astray and “bait” those who are, they assume, “in the know”.

“This is a story about Wilbur, a little boy who once lived in our neighborhood. Having for one day been good, his father drew some change from his pocket and offered it to Wilbur as a reward. It happened to be a dime and a penny and the father said he could have either coin he wished. After a bit of deliberation, Wilbur took the penny. ‘Are you sure, Wilbur, that is the one you want ?’ Wilbur was very sure. His father laughed, ‘All right, but you can’t change back now for it’s too late.’ And so it began that everybody in the neighborhood started offering Wilbur a dime and a penny. He always took the penny in spite of suggestions and admonitions from the adults. Everyone considered Wilbur a bit ‘wacky’ for keeping to this action.

Finally his father had come to hear of his son’s ‘strictly dumb’ outlook and took Wilbur to task. ‘Do you think I’m crazy, Pop ? If I took the dime they’d soon stop offering me the coins. As it is, they think I’m dumb, keep on laughing when I take the pennies, and now I’ve got more money than they have !’ And oh, how true that is, friends. For if those ‘smart’ people had just looked at their change they would have seen that it was they who had the penny and Wilbur was the one with the dime.”

Blow the dust off your old Dime and Penny effect, get a real dime and penny, and borrow a ‘Wilbur’ from the audience. (‘Wilbur’ generally is some white haired gentleman with a steady hand and a sense of humor). The fake dime is on the left palm and lapping over it is the real penny. The right hand palms the shell penny, hollow side down, near the tips and between the 1st and 2nd fingers. The real dime is palmed (or clipped) between the 2nd and 3rd fingers at the crotch.

All set? Suiting the patter pick up the penny off left hand with the 1st and 2nd fingers and thumb putting it in the gentleman’s hand as you tell him to hold it tightly as Wilbur did. You repeat this action twice, letting it “soak in” that the penny is real and ordinary. In taking it back the second time the 1st and 2nd fingers move back and drop the penny into the palm of the right hand. The thumb comes up under the shell penny and levers it into view at the tips of the 1st and 2nd fingers. The entire action takes but a split second and is so natural it almost hurts. Now the fake penny is laid over the fake dime in the left hand and everything looks as before.

Still pattering, the right hand is now getting the real dime up near the 1st and 2nd fingertips through the aid of the thumb. The real penny just lays in the hand, with no attempt to palm it. Now the right hand crosses over for the third time to pick up the penny. The 1st and 2nd fingers touch the penny, the left fingers curl up naturally, and the right hand moves away just as if it had really picked up the penny. This move cannot be recommended too highly as it is completely deceptive and the acme of simplicity.

The left hand closes naturally and turns downward, this action snapping the fake dime and penny together into one coin. The right hand now leaves the real dime (apparently the penny) in the gentleman’s hand who is instructed to close his hand over it quickly. Tell him to turn his hand palm down which prevents him from opening it and glimpsing the dime. (Why should he, however, for you’ve done the same thing twice before and he doesn’t know what you are building up to anyway ?) Pattering to the climax you open your left hand out and there on the palm is the lone penny. Pick it up with the right fingers and deliberately show it on both sides. The gentleman, or ‘Wilbur’ opens his hand and finds the dime. And you stand there waiting for any ‘wise boy’ to look the dime over with an at first knowing expression, but which always registers a little awe.

Of course the right hand is not idle. As you stand there while the dime is looked at, the fake penny is dropped into palm and the real one pushed out to tips of fingers. Then someone thinks of the penny which you have been holding before them constantly (?) and you nonchalantly flip it to them. In other words, first they have the penny in their hands, then the dime, then they have them both, and the wise ones can’t find anything wrong at any time. The fake, of course, drops into the pocket in getting a cigarette or removing a handkerchief. If you’re working quite steadily this season you can let them keep the coins, but if like me, you’d better get them back as soon as possible after the examination.