Magnetic coins explained: what they are and how magicians use them

TL;DR: A magnetic coin looks like an ordinary coin but has a magnet inside it. A steel core coin has steel inside instead, so it is pulled towards a magnet without being one. Paired with each other or with hidden magnets, they let coins cling, gather, appear or vanish. They are utility gimmicks: easy to own, but the magic comes from how naturally you handle them.

Why are magnetic coins worth understanding?

Magnets have been part of magic for a long time. Professor Hoffmann’s Modern Magic (1876) describes the Light and Heavy Chest, a small box that a strong volunteer suddenly can’t lift, and lists it among the tricks “depending upon the principle of electro-magnetic attraction.” Hoffmann notes that Robert-Houdin cited it, and it is the chest most associated with him today.

Coin magicians liked the idea too, even before small magnets were practical. T. Nelson Downs’s Modern Coin Manipulation (1900) includes a trick called “Magnetized Coins,” where the performer makes “a few magnetic passes” and a row of overlapping coins locks together. The secret he gives is a mechanical fitting, not a magnet at all. Today a strong magnet fits inside a coin, and that opens up a whole family of routines.

The catch is that a magnetic coin rarely does a trick on its own. Knowing what it is actually for saves you buying the wrong one.

What is a magnetic coin?

There are two main types, and the difference matters:

• Magnetic coin: a coin with a magnet inside. It is attracted to other magnets and to steel.
• Steel core coin: a coin with a piece of steel inside. It is attracted to any magnet but has no magnet of its own.

Think of the magnetic coin as the active piece and the steel core coin as the passive one. You will also see the PK ring, a finger ring with a magnet built into it, and other magnetic accessories that are meant to work with these coins. For the rest of the vocabulary, our coin magic glossary covers shells, flippers, matrix and more.

How do magnetic coins work?

The principle is simple: magnetism does a job your fingers would otherwise have to do. It can hold a coin somewhere it shouldn’t stay, catch a coin as it arrives, or keep two pieces together until you choose to separate them. Two magnets can also pull together or push apart depending on which way round they face, which is why some magnetic props talk about their poles.

Strength is a trade-off. A stronger magnet grabs more reliably, but it also snaps together harder, which means more noise, and it is happier to pick up things you didn’t intend. Makers take the noise seriously: the instructions for one magnetic coin box in our catalogue include “techniques to silence the gimmick.”

That is as far as the principle goes here. How any particular product uses its magnet is the maker’s secret, and part of what you pay for.

When would you use one?

Magnetic coins turn up across coin magic, usually as one part of a bigger routine:

• Clinging and animation: steel core coins are sold to work with magnetic coins, PK rings and other magnetic gimmicks to make coins appear to move or stick on their own.
• Accessories for classic plots: one magnetic half dollar we stock is described as useful for a trick called “The Bat” and for some matrix routines, the classic plot where coins under separate cards gather under one.
• Table vanishes: a common listed effect is a coin placed on the table that disappears when a hand passes over it.
• Coin boxes: magnetism can make a coin box seem to fill with coins from nowhere.
• Upgrading other gimmicks: magnetic versions of coin shells and flipper coins exist, which gives them handling options the plain versions don’t have.

How do you learn to use them?

Start with the coin on its own. Get a feel for how strongly it pulls, what sound it makes, and what else in your pockets it likes to grab. That ten minutes saves a lot of embarrassment later.

Next, learn the ordinary handling that goes around it. In most routines the gimmick covers one moment and everything else is normal coin handling, so a basic false transfer such as the French drop and a relaxed finger palm will do more for you than a second gimmick.

Then build one short routine and practise it in front of a camera, watching for the moment the magnet does its work. That moment should look exactly like the moments around it. Being honest about difficulty: the magnet itself is easy, but making your hands look natural around it takes the same practice as any coin magic.

Several of the coins we stock come with a link to Tangopedia, a four-hour video from the maker covering basic instructions for more than 50 gimmick coin routines, which is a good place to see what each piece can do.

Which products help?

• Strong Magnetic Half Dollar (D0112) by Tango: a half dollar with a magnet inside, attracted to any magnet or steel. Its description suggests it as an accessory for “The Bat” or some matrix routines, and it includes the Tangopedia link.
• Steel Core Coin US Half Dollar (D0029) by Tango: the passive partner, with a piece of steel inside so it is attracted to any magnet. Also includes the Tangopedia link.
• Magnetic Coin Box (Half Dollar) by Artisan Coin & OFM Studio: a brass coin box that uses magnetic levitation to seemingly produce four coins inside it, and also works as a standard Okito or Boston box. It includes a magnetic box, a solid box, an accessory pack and over an hour of instruction with Jay Wang, from a beginner-friendly four-coin routine upward.

Before you buy, check whether your routine calls for a magnet in the coin or a magnet somewhere else. You can browse more in our coins and money collection.

What are the common mistakes?

• Buying the wrong type. A steel core coin won’t stick to another steel core coin. One piece in the pair has to be a magnet.
• Letting the coin talk. A sharp click as two pieces meet tells a sharp spectator something happened. Slow the contact down and cover it with natural movement or speech.
• Handing it out. A gimmicked coin can’t be examined freely. Plan your routine so the ordinary coins are the ones people touch.
• Carrying it with keys and change. A loose magnetic coin collects whatever steel it finds. Give it its own pocket or purse.
• Leaving small magnets around children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that swallowing two or more strong magnets can cause serious internal injury. Keep loose magnets and magnetic gimmicks out of reach of young kids.
• Using it everywhere. One magnetic moment in a routine is a surprise. Three in a row starts to look like a prop doing the work.

Sources: Professor Hoffmann, Modern Magic (1876); T. Nelson Downs, Modern Coin Manipulation (1900); Wikipedia: Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin; U.S. CPSC magnet warning (2021).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a magnetic coin and a steel core coin?

A magnetic coin has a magnet inside it. A steel core coin has steel inside, so it is attracted to a magnet but is not a magnet itself. Many routines use one of each, or a steel core coin with a hidden magnet.

Can a magnetic coin do a trick on its own?

Usually not. It is a utility gimmick that handles one moment in a routine, while the rest is ordinary coin handling. Some products list a simple vanish, but most uses pair it with other coins or props.

Are magnetic coins hard to use?

The magnet itself is easy. The skill is making your hands look natural around the moment it does its work, which takes the same practice as any coin magic.

Are magnetic coin gimmicks safe for kids?

Keep loose magnets away from young children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that swallowing two or more strong magnets can cause serious internal injury.