Many times when people are getting into coin magic for the first time, the most common question asked will be about what the right coin size should be for them to use.
I’ll try to quickly answer that question in this post. Let’s begin!
So essentially, the best coin size will vary based on the individual. What this means is that there is not a set one size fits all coin size that will automatically work for everyone!
You are probably going to have to experiment to see what works best for you. But here are a couple of things that can help, and what you want to look for and avoid.
The first thing to pay attention to is making sure that the coin size is not too small for your hands. A lot of people may want to start out by using quarters, since they are more available, and they probably already have quarters, without having to purchase any new coins.
However, for most people, quarters will be too small for most magic tricks and for your hands. Now you could do a thumb palm and a finger palm fairly easily with a quarter, but if you have normal size hands, as soon as you try to do a classic palm, the coin will be probably too small. This will lead to greater difficulties, or not being able to even palm the coin at all.
However, if you are still growing, or you have smaller hands, a quarter might be best for you. In this case, you will have to experiment. (I should note that dimes, pennies, and nickels will probably almost always be too small for almost anyone performing coin magic. The only time to use them is when a certain trick might call for these types of coins.)
For most people, I think that a half dollar is probably going to be the best size for at least starting out. This should give a size that is big enough for a classic palm. It should also be easier to conceal in the hand than a larger size coin.
However, there are some limitations to this size coin we will look at next.
Make Sure the Coin is Big Enough for the Effect
One thing that you want to consider when looking at the size of a coin, is having a coin that is going to be large enough for the trick that you are performing.
What this means is that you want to have a coin that is going to be large enough to be visible to the audience. In fact, the bigger the coin, usually the better since it will be more visible, and make for a better trick.
That is the only downside to a half dollar or any coin that is smaller. There will be less visibility to the audience than a larger coin.
Now, this can vary depending on the trick, but this especially is true if you are doing something like a one coin flurry in which the coin is the main point of visibility. In this case, you want a coin that is as large as possible.
For this type of trick, I like a silver dollar size coin. You can also buy clay poker chips, which are about the same size as a silver dollar and can be a good size as well, with good visibility. (The only downside to these, is you don’t get as much of a “clink” when they knock together as with regular metal coins. Sometimes this doesn’t matter, but some tricks rely on this sound)
Don’t Choose a Coin Size Too Big
This brings us to the last point, which is usually less common but should be mentioned as well. This is, choosing a coin size that might be too big for your hands.
Although the dollar size coin is probably the biggest size coin you will find, for some people with smaller hands, this might be too big of a coin for you.
If you find yourself struggling while trying to use a larger size coin like a silver dollar or poker chip, then consider the fact that the coin might be too large for your hands. In this case, try a half dollar size coin instead!
The magician started magic as a kid and has learned from some of the greats. He loves to share his knowledge with others and help out with the subtleties he’s learned along the way.
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