Wondering about this. Anyone have any info about the history and originator of this effect?

Hoffmann's book "More Magic" has the familiar coin gaff method detailed.
He elaborates to use a hollow cork so the performer does not need to grip the bottle in some odd way.
He also mentions using a hollow wand to introduce the gaff. Not bad.
He suggests breaking the bottle to recover the borrowed coin - which may have been less of a fuss back then than it is today.

The modern version using Dave Williamson's Striking Vanish ... well maybe he can provide additional historical provenance.

David Roth published an approach the the effect (well two if you include the funnel trick) where you have more options in terms of what the effect is "really".

Thanks, Jon. I had no idea it went back so far and already so sophisticated. And I assume that Hoffman's books were basically full of already well-established effects.

As a teenager, my first experience with the Coin in Bottle was at the local magic shop. I seen it in the glass case for a while, and finally purchased it after the owner showed me the effect. It was a whopping $2, that was expensive when wages were only a $1 an hour. I never really performed it for people because it was a fake coin, half dollar size or larger. It had a devil stamped on the face of the coin. This was around the late 1960's. Gimmicked real coins were not made at that time to my knowledge. I believe the coin was wholesaled through Edward O. Drain company out of Chicago. The coin was stamped out of some gray metal, as the edge of the coin was dark gray. A silver shiny material made was pressed onto the surface to make look more like a coin. Coin edge was smooth, no groves. IT did not come with a matching coin, as I remember.

The coins were also sold by Adams Magic, the figure being Mephisto. The "Mystic Coins" trick used those too.

One of the greatest tricks in magic. I love doing it.