Tricks with Coins

The King of Koins gives away the act: every sleight and subtlety he knew, including the full working of “The Miser's Dream” as he performed it at the Palace Theatre for nearly 200 straight nights.

This site is the complete 1902 book Tricks with Coins, page by page as originally printed — period spelling, remedies and opinions included. About this edition →

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William J. Hilliar

INCLUDING A complete explanation of his World- Famous Coin Creation, "The Miser's Dream," as presented by him at the Palace Theatre…

Chicago, Ill., U. S. A

CONTENTS Dream, The Miser's.. 9 Production of Any Number of Coins at the Finger Tips... 32 To Pass a Coin Through the Knees. 35 The…

The Miser's Dream

The above original conception of the author's has, he believes, been more extensively imitated and counterfeited than any other known…

At Finger Tips

Before the hat is replaced on the table the audience is asked to name any number, which we will suppose is 15. The performer, who has in…

To Pass a Coin Through the Knees

To bring about the above effect a half-dollar is palmed in the right hand, and another taken between the second and third finger tips (the…

The Elusive Pass

The performer takes, we will say, six coins between the foremost sections of the middle and third fingers of the right hand, spreading out…

New Change-Over Palm

When the left hand is opened, the right hand, which contains the coins palmed, is brought face to face with the left one, and the coins…

Ing Coins at the Same Time

Fig. 33 represents a photo of the author's hand palming coins in three different styles: ordinary, thumb and finger-palm. It is, of course…

Forty Coins

The above trick of the author's is in all seriousness described in a certain "Serio-Comic" Coin-Trick book as being "simple enough" if you…

Coin Vanishes and Passes

The following methods, which are numbered, are for causing the disappearance of one coin only:- No. 1.

A Rapid Pass with Six Coins

Hold six half-dollars by their edges between the two middle fingers and thumb tips. Move the hand towards the left, at the same time al…

Disappearing Pile of Coins

A number of coins are shown lying on a plate, piled up, taken in the left hand where they are seen, and the hand is closed over them. A…

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Highlights

The Flying Coins

Six half-dollars are deposited in a small box by the spectators and the box placed in full view on the table. Performer shows his…

New Money-Producing Card

Performer has a card selected from the pack, which he holds between the fingers of right hand, when suddenly a real half-dollar…

The Silver Question

Performer, after showing both hands empty, calls upon his banker to supply him with funds, when instantly a pile of 30 coins…

Multiplying Coins

(SLEIGHT-OF-HAND METHOD.) Performer borrows a half-dollar, which by rubbing slightly he causes to increase to two, three, four…

Forty Coins

The above trick of the author's is in all seriousness described in a certain "Serio-Comic" Coin-Trick book as being "simple…

The Coin Cornucopia

The performer calls attention to a piece of newspaper, and makes a cornucopia of it, and places it in a glass that is on a common…

Curious Facts

16 genuinely curious things this book actually says, each linked to its page.

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1902Year
60Pages
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Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Tricks with Coins (1902) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.