I am truly just beginning to enter the world of coin magic. I bought Bobo to read. I bought Ammar to watch. My hands and dexterity are not great (I was rather lousy at piano lessons), but I am trying to take in the basics. But one quandary I had in order to even begin at the beginning is, how to get my hands on the coins themselves. Gaffs will come later via magic shops, but I am more asking about the real deals.

The only coin collecting I have been exposed to was my father's coin collection which unfortunately made its own disappearing act in a wildfire that consumed it, along with the rest of my possessions, seven years ago. Beyond that, the only analogous experience I have in buying things that are out of print, no longer made, or have a certain "market value" are items like first edition or signed books or certain pressings of vinyl albums.

So is there a standard place to find the "worth" or market value of Morgans, Ikes, Walking Libertys, Kennedys, etc.? A Kelley Blue Book for coins? Something that states a commonly agreed upon value? I generally do not mind paying the amount things seem to be going for at a given time. But I also would like to see trends, or at least know if I am being taken advantage of when a particular price is offered.

I have made a search for such, but I find great value in the experience gained by others who have already walked such a path. I figured this would be the first question I asked. Subsequently finding a place to purchase the coins comes next...


I thank you for any sites, publications, or helpful thoughts.

~c

Depends on what coins you decide on, clad 50 cent pieces will be the cheapest, also any gaffs. Silver coins, Morgans, Walking Liberties, Kennedy 64's and such can fluctuate depending on market price of silver. Coin shops might have silver coins at a decent price. A lot of people like the replica coins, personally not a fan.

On top of what was said by Tom G, if you want anything more than standard clad coins which can still be found at face value at banks (some even have eisenhower dollars!), you can go to a coin show in your area, or a local coin shop and look for junk silver. At coin shows, people go early and search the junk silver bin to find coins that are sold for the value of their silver. Collectors don't want them because they are worn, but that makes them perfect for magicians. You can find morgans, peace dollars, barber and walking liberty half dollars, as well as 64 kennedys. Kennedys that range from 65-69 are only 40% silver, so are also cheaper than the 64 kennedys.
Most coin shops and at coin shows you can find a foreign coin box containing english pennies, half crowns and crowns, and even african 10 cent pieces, irish pennies, etc, which match the size of the silver colored halves and dollars.
Finally check ebay. You can buy lots of various condition coins which are usually a great price, and can compare prices to get a good deal. I have bought coins in bulk from ebay and have been very happy with my purchases.
Along with the coins, you might want to check out the big books on coin magic (Kaufman's Coinmagic and Expert Coin Magic, my own Rubinstein Coin Magic, and dvds/downloads of the New York Coin Magic Seminar, Roth, myself, and a whole bunch of talented coin workers (Kam, Harbottle, Dill, and actually too many to name). Check the first thread in this section on material for beginners to get an idea of sources. Good luck, and happy holidays!

Welcome to the cafe cauldron,
you will find several threads on this question in this forum. To summarize: It very much depends on where you live. In America it's much easier - go to a coin dealer or bank. In Europe, going to a coin dealer can also be an idea, but they tend to sell coins in good condition (more expensive and not really what you want).
While some swear by silver coins, most will tell you to start with "regular" ones. Eisenhower or Kennedy 1/2 (also available in silver) offer the cheapest entry point, even when it comes to gaffs (probably the most versatile gaff coin).
Walking Liberty or even Morgan will be significantly more expensive. Especially outside the USA. You can watch the coin market, but these are "collectibles" whose value is measured by their condition. Gaffs in particular tend to become more expensive over time. Search for circulated coins (cull coins) on ebay to get an idea. Their value tends to be based more on the price of silver.
If you want a shell, it gets more complicated. It may be a good idea to buy them first and then look for the matching coins. Especially in Europe, it may be the best decision to buy a complete set.
For real silver sets, look for Marc Mason (US)/Bob Swadling (UK) or Roy Kuepper. That's about where it starts.
Replica sets offer a much cheaper alternative. Search for Tango, TCC or Bluether, they have a pretty good reputation in the forum.

Great idea from Dr. Rubinstein about coin shows.

I have found E-Bay to be a good source.

While I've forgot to press send, the question has already been answered...

I sincerely appreciate the welcome as well as the valuable information. While I had thought about the vast sea of internet sellers, finding a coin show did not even occur to me. And of course, starting small with a local bank would be far simpler.

Thank you folks for the ideas. I am excited to get started.

Magic warehouse has sets of walking liberty halves for 30 dollaras. they fit me well and they look cool

I shall have to check that out. And that reminds me of something to consider -- which denomination "fits" or feels better in the hand. ...Or at the very least which I find works best for manipulation.

I am sure my origin story is common (or at least similar by country). When I was a kid, I started playing around with quarters and the smaller coins because that simply was what was around. Eventually I was given some Kennedys by relatives for birthdays or holidays. I perhaps saw an Ike or two.

But several decades on, I do find some beauty in Libertys. And though my dollar coin exposure is limited, the aesthetics of Morgans appeal to me.

But, as I say, literal handling may ultimately determine what I invest in. Thanks again for giving me something to consider.

While there'll always be a debate about using dollar size coins or halves, a good number of the top coin guys use halves. I have small hands and while I could do what I wanted with the Morgans, they just looked "big" in my hands and switched to halves.

So I think there are two (three?) axes to consider here.
1) What size coin do you want?
The best way is to find some cheap items of various sizes and determine what feels best to you and your hands. It depends on your fingers, windows, etc. I'm a big fan of just going to the hardware store and picking up a handful of washers of different sizes. They don't handle as well, but they're very cheap and can help you get started - certainly to see if you like coins before spending big bucks on silver.

2) What material do you want your coins out of? (And since you asked pricing)
As folks above have mentioned, silver is more expensive, both for the coins and then later the gaffs. Dollars even more so than halves, of course.

-You can get clad coins (especially half dollars) very cheaply at US banks. Don't pay much more than face value for halves. If you want Ikes, they're no longer in circulation, so you'll have to pay a bit more (up to 2x) over face value. But that's only a dollar each, and probably won't break the bank.
-You can get old copper coins (e.g English pennies) very cheaply online at ebay, or at coin shops. Don't pay the $3-5 that some magic shops try to charge.
- Maybe you still want silver, which is fine. Prices vary based on current melt value and condition - go for cheaper, circulated coins rather than mint, proof, or collectors ones that have even higher premiums. There are multiple sites that give current pricing values, e.g. https://www.coinflation.com/coins/1916-1947-Silver-Walking-Liberty-Half-Dollar-Value.html#:~:text=%248.9519%20is%20the%20rounded%20silver,dollar%20on%20November%2027%2C%202023. Usually by year, since it's for collectors. Just pick the low end of the ranges and that should give you a ballpark for pricing that you could compare to ebay or anywhere else.


2.5) Where do you live? That changes availability of some of the coins, and thus the cost, including shipping.

I would recommend silver coins. They avoid the smell of money on your hands.
Just buy some silver coins in different sizes, try them out and sell those, which doesn't suit you.

The most popular retail price guide is this: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-United-Stat......4850146/
However the correct value of any reasonably tough coin depends hugely upon its condition and this is hard for beginners to assess.
Coin shows are the best place to get older coins at honest prices. Foreign coins can be good for magic and many of them are really cheap at coin shows.

In addition to the "Red Book" mentioned above, this site is a decent quick reference for silver coin melt value when buying old worn coins. It will also let you know if a coin you stumble across is rare / more valuable.

www.coinflation.com

Soft Morgan silver dollars will sell for around $20/ea at a coin shop.

Current scrap/melt value of a Morgan silver dollar with 0% wear is just under $18/ea, and the price drops according to amount of wear.

http://coinapps.com/silver/coin/calculator/