The Journal of NECROMANTIC NUMISMATICS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Journal of NECROMANTIC NUMISMATICS A Quarterly Publication for Collectors of Magicians' Coins and Tokens Issued by Volume .J7 F. William Kuethe, Jr. Number OZ 700 Glenview Avenue, S.W. Date ~ /96'6 Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061 Tel: 301-766-3842 f. Willian1 Kuethe, Jr. 700 Gle-nvicw Ave. S. W. Glen f)urnie, ,\\J. 210fH Collector of: Magic Books & Magazmes. Magician's Coins & Tokens - Bookplates Editor! The Magic Cauldron MAGICIAN'S LAPEL PINS A few issues ago, Ed Heyl supplied us with a reprint of his fine article on mirror cards. The question was raised at the time as to whether any existed with pin backs instead of mirrors - lapel pins, in other words. I have two such items. and Bob Lund has loaned me three others, so I can now document five such i terns. 1. 'rhursto.n - Good Luck. 32mm in diameter. A 3/4 portrait of Howard Thfirston with an imp standing on his right shoulder whispering in his ear and another looking over his left shoulder. Made by:The Weber Badge and Novelty Co. Reading, Pa. 2. "Senator" Crandall's Anti-Mustache Club. 57mm. 3/4 portrait of the '.'Senator" facing left, with a handlebar mustache. 3. Member Milky's Twin Pines Fan Club 75mm_ Portrait of Milky in clown make-up. Red and blue 00> while 4. John Calvert Fan Club Member. 25mm. Portrait of John Calvert with what appears to be an airline pilot's hat on. 5. Meet Me At The The Smoke Ring. 48mm. Black with yellow letters. This optical illusion lapel pin was given as ~ souvenir of the 1964-65 World's Fair in New York. 'l'he General Cigar Co., makers of White Owl Cigars, sponsored a booth, or pavilion, devoted t o magic and tied in with Mark Wilson. I wrote them to try to get some material from them to do a Magic at the Fair supplement for the Cauldron. They very kindly sent me the brochures I needed, and also included two dozen of the "Smoke Ring" pins. This was not enough to send out with the Cauldron, but 'I do have enough to send out to .the Journal subscribers, so one is enclosed with each issue. You can thank General Cigar. PAPER DISCS Round paper discs have been used by s ever?l magicians, including Charlton, whose disc looked like a penny on th~ revers~, and Keene, who had a picture of himself on the disc with a neat hole in his head. Whether these should be included in a coin col lection or not is a matter of personal preference. I do. While in J. Chanin' s emporium a few weeks ago, I spotted a round green disc with his advertising on it. He cheerfully parted ' , with a few, so I'm able to send each of you one of them. The purists among us may feel free to throw them away. Deadline for the next i~sue: Surprise-see next issue! EDGAR HEYL · II W Chase St · Baltimore· Md· 21201 Since la.:3t writing about the tokens of Harry and Frances Usher, the vaudeville mindreaders of the 1930s, I have acquired several more of tJ1eir interesting pieces, making a total of eight. This has been sanewh8.t of a mixed. blessing, for they represent five die va.rleties of the obverse. How maey types of these pieces were issued is not known at pres ent. If twelve obverse dies and welve diif erent reverse dies had been made, :it would be expected that the obverse dies from one master design would show littl e diif erence. But wlth five types of obverses lm0>m, t.his is almost certain proof of another and more econanical method be- ing used. This is to have only one obverse die made up and to change the reverse die in the press to pl"Od.uce the series,. As a result of this, the obverse die would wear twelve till1es as fast as aey one of the reverse dies. So, due to this wear (or even breakage of the obverse die) we find two obverse fonns with the same reverse die. It is conceivable that one of the reverse dies might have broken, and this would have resulted in two reverse types with one obverse die. In order to determine what did haP pen, it wou1d be necessary to examine large numbers of these p:l.eces. IAarp;e nmnbers of these pieces do not exist in conjuring collections .. Diameter Thickness Des:\gn of Obverse Des:ign of fl.averse 11 1 - CoP 1. 02 • 06 5- 1 per, gilt • 067 • TijE USHERS incuse CAPRIC0RNU S on Saturn. VENICE, CAL raised on :t"ing. COPYRIGHT 1936 in field, paralleling the ihside ring. 2 - Cop 1. 021t .. 072- THE USHERS incuse AlUES per, gilt • CJ75" on Saturn. VEUICS CALIF raised on the ring. Touching bottan of Sa.turn is c; • EDGAR HEYL· II W Chase St· Baltimore· Md· 21201 3 - Cop- 1.@2" • 0'7l1--- Same as ne. 2. CA.NC ER per, gilt • ©84'' 4 - Cep- 1.0211 .~- Sa.me as no • 2. GEl!iNI per, gilt • 073" 1 5 - Cop- 1. 02 • • 071- Same as no • 2. SAGITTARIUS per, gilt • 07 5" 6 - Cop- 1.02" .~- THE USHERS incuse LEG per, gilt • 071 ft on Saturn. VENICE, CAL. on rir>.g. C@PY- lUGirr 1936 in fielS. paralleling the in- side ring. 7 - Cop- 1.02" .071- Salne as no. 6, lnit P:rSCES per, f,'.ilt ;072" f rem d.iff erent die. 8 - Cop 1.02" .~- Nothing on Saturn SAGITT.A.P..:IUS. It seems per. gilt • 074" or ring. In the te be the same die as upper field, in no. 5. small letters par- alleling i:n.mer r:i.ne COPYRIGHT 1936. In l€Mer field, pa.ra- lleJ.ine the inner rlng THE USHERS - VENICE, CALIF Moat r)f thf.'j old t.Lme i1iae;1cians .for the:ir co:I.n t:d.c (c;::::; usecl half tloll11n•s or, a.t least, co:i.ns o:f' that size. .Parcmthet:Lcal13' ,Alexander Rerrmann perforltled w:Lth actual twenty dollar gold pieces which .• between shows; he kept in a Gpocia.lly me.de lee.ther case. ±\s t:r1e hal:f d ;J ll&1.r stze coin we.. s tf1e on.e 1ua.f;tcte.11s i. .1rj0d) when tbe deal$Y'S of iaagic equ began havlnc; coins made .for nm.. 11i_pu- lation the coins llSua11y 1.1ere dollar size, c;r a.pproxime.tely S<.J. I refer to dealers in Amr::rics. and eland L::-r so~ Continental macic sh0ps had coins 1'Jf saver~l di:t'ferent '"l~>: e s. V:.:1ilt:Ln, as oxample :i.ssued a d•)l• lar siz~ coin prt(J).!r to any ma.;;,)c c ::> :ln hav.Lng been sold 1.n America ru1d, if I an1 not miste.ken, tn u;nglan·5 e.s '-·lol.1. Tbero was no denilil.nd f or coins hy ma~;:Lclllns <:af years ago. , in m::ire :recent tinieE, 8.$-l '.I'ornrny Downs lilSeJG! half dollar size cni.ns lt1 his :famous act .it seemed obvi·JU8 to al1 otn~t rnagiMJans that s iz0 co :\.n we~' the best f,z,r coin work. co1J.:rsc, as peo]Jte, even magicians, cornll't w]th he.ncls of ti.sso:rted sizer-;, there i..s no best size coin f or isver:l<)ne.. 1\-::Jy cu1n rnariip-ulator 1-1111 agT-ee tb.a.t tJ:1e s:Lze of the coin h$ uses can rnnke a E;r'fll'J.t deal of d:Lf'f'orence tn the smo 1Yth ness of la:i.l} }ilerf0rinance. '.P:he Ma.rtir1J:.:t-. coirw, which they hrnJ made and ct.UT .L ed thelr deGig/1::1, varied in metals.• and Ytherw:Lse, as lHil.G b~"len nuterJ previously in tlds excelle:tt journal,. b'J.t a.11 were ident Leal tr:; half (:lollnn~ l.n s :Lze . rm . ·<' 1 • ' . ~ i.rie except ion. was ·;1eirt l . " c ll <Y\Jcr :>i c;o.... d ", c<nns. w~ncn1 wer e no;:;. .maw:~ ' r or manipulation but for ·:.me particular trick . J:'aulj_ne Martinke told me that only on rare occasiorw would C LlGt5m~'lrs asI-;:. for .J.,:;Jlar s:l.ze co:l.."1.s. 'I'hc demand was not sul'ficierrt tu waJ.''l:'ant the cost of havlng dies made to pro duce coins of la.rt;;e:r :; ize. However, when Fre...ncis J, Mart ink.a learned that he could purcha.$e very a <>:insi"1cirable q_uant :Lty ::if d•:..<lle:r s:t1;e coin.s lie bo.ug1rl; all tJ;.e,t were swa.lJ..ECble and the coins we1·e put i.n sto1;:k. ! do not now rec>~tll whether Mrs Me.rt inka sa:i.cl the manuf'e.ctu:cer had gone into bank..ruptcy , ,'.Jr if i.t were the f:L:i:•m which had o rdered the coins which was bankrupt 1 but bankruptcy came into tke picture 1 n.nd Mr .Arid·' f1;:lrtht:r , it is nty r C!G 'J l.lG ct 5.. 0 I1 tl1e~t lllfaJ.--t:i.11-ka al1 tl1e CO.il1E ev<::r $tr11ck with that des :i.. gn. l believe it 1.ml.L~rel;y that I wa.s told of the quroi:tity purchased but . if I were I have forgotten.