The Stunt:

A drink coaster is balanced on the tip of your index finger. On top of that is a quarter. Surprisingly, you flick away the coaster while leaving the quarter behind on your fingertip!

The Secret:

Balance the center of the coaster on the tip of your index finger. You want your index finger to be flat, rather than sticking straight up. You’ll need to use a drink coaster that is made of hard paper, something similar to cardboard, like those found in most restaurants or bars. When setting up the stunt it will look as if you are balancing the quarter on the center of the coaster.

More than doing just that, you are actually balancing the quarter on the tip of your index finger. Thump the dead center of the edge of the coaster closest to you (Fig. 1). You should thump the coaster hard for it to work and be quick about the action for it to be deceptive. Remember that practice makes perfect for agility stunts like this. If you don’t have a firm paper coaster handy, then you could also use a driver’s license, a playing card, a thick business card, etc.

When done flip the coin 18 feet into the air and allow it to fall into your shirt pocket and take a bow. Everyone should be completely amazed!