COIN AND GLASS
Cover the mouths of two glasses with newspaper, by gumming it on them, and trim off the edges neatly.[A] Stand them inverted upon two pieces of newspaper in such a manner that the type on the paper over the glasses fairly corresponds with that on the paper on the table. Make two cones of newspaper to fit closely over each glass. Unobserved by the company, place a penny under the glass 37 on your left, which will of course be concealed by the paper on the mouth of the glass. Then borrow a penny, and, placing the cone over the glass on your right, lift the latter covered by the former from the table; lay the borrowed penny on the newspaper, and cover with the glass and cone. You call attention to the fact that there is nothing under the other glass, and you then cover it with the second cone. You now tell the company that at your word of command the penny will leave one glass and travel invisibly over the table to the other glass. You lift the cone from the glass on your right, under which the borrowed penny was placed, and the coin is not to be seen. Then, lifting both the cone and glass together on your left, the concealed penny is brought into view. You now announce your intention of sending the penny back. Place the covered glass over the penny and replace the cover over the glass on your right. “One, two, three—go!” you exclaim and, lifting the cone off the glass on your left, the penny under it appears to have disappeared, and on removing the other glass, still covered by the cone, the borrowed penny will once more be seen. This trick can be worked with one glass only and the penny made to appear to drop through the table in your hand placed under the latter ready to catch it (the penny, of course, being already palmed in your hand); but the use of two glasses makes the trick more effective, and it can be repeated many times without fear of detection. The paper upon which the glasses stand can, of course, be examined; but the glasses when removed from the paper must be covered with the cones, or the paper cover on the mouth of each will be seen.
[A] This piece of apparatus neatly constructed can be obtained at a trifling cost at any of Messrs. Hamley Bros.’ Conjuring Depôts, London.