Tell The Tale of Two Tails

by Dale A. Hildebrandt

Notes: This routine was inspired by the real life article, mentioned in
the routine, "A Tale of Two Tails" by Marcy Gibbel in the coin collector
magazine "COINage" November 2001. The routine is quite adaptable and has
a general framework. The bare necessities for the effect are: a two-taled
quarter and a regular quarter; thread and wax. To do every effect mentioned
in the routine you will also need a Giant Quarter, a miniature quarter, a
scale, a special bag or a coin collector's holder, and invisible thread and
wax, as well as a regular quarter and a two tailed quarter. In the article
mentioned, a coin expert tests the coin to see if it is real by dropping it
on the table. When you read the effect, you will realize that I never actually
drop the coin on the table, but tap the REAL quarter and the Two Tailed Quarter
on the table while saying this. When you tap the two tailed quarter
on a hard surface it sounds the same as the regular quarter, I tested it.

Thanks to: Kenton Knepper, J. Tank, Allen Zing, Rex Sikes, for ideas from
Wonder Words and other sources applied into this effect. Also, T. Nelson Downs
and J.B. Bobo with the coin sleight influence (sleights are rarely mentioned,
so you can adapt it to the moves you use); and to all the various Bizarre Magickians;
as well as Richard Bandler; and Aleister Crowley; and Milton H. Erickson; plus anybody
that deserves credit for things but whose name I don't know

'I have in my possession a rare artifact. I am very proud of this special
piece that is in my collection. Last year, my grandfather, in various stages
of illness, revealed many secrets, of life and of magic, to me. He passed on
to better grounds, and one of the items which he left to me was this coin.
{show two-tail quarter and regular quarter, taken out of a special bag}
{[optionally you can have the two tailed quarter in a special
holder like coin collectors use]}

The thing that is strange about this quarter is that it has two tails on
each side. Now,some ignorant people automatically think "Big deal, it is
one of those trick coins".
However, those people who were intelligent and patient would wait for the
proper explanation and you then find out that this coin is very rare.
This coin was actually made by the United States Mint in what is called an Error Coin.
The coin weighs the same as any other quarter released by the Mint. An expert once
told me that you can tell a real quarter by dropping it on a table.
This family heirloom sounds just like any other quarter.
{tap regular quarter against table, then do same with two-tailed quarter;
pretend to put regular quarter back in pocket and retain it}

You, like me, probably first thought this was fake. I soon learned that it
was real. You, like me, also probably thought it was a neat mistake but not worth
much in terms of monetary value. All those opinions changed when I read the November 2001 edition of the coin collector magazine "COINage"; in an article titled "A Tale of Two
Tails" by Marcy Gibbel. A cattle rancher and oil producer named Tommy Bolack bought
the first two tailed quarter found for $80,000. As far I know, I hold the only other
existing coin. People sometimes come up to me after the show, and ask if they can buy the
coin. My answer is always a resounding "No". To me, this is more than just a
collectible coin; this is a magical link to my grandfather's essence. For you see,
this is not only a family heirloom, but a connection to my passed-away grandfather.

I first learned of the magic this coin possessed the night after my grandfather's funeral.
I had been looking the coin over, thinking it was a fake. You see, my grandfather taught
me two types of magic: one type was a magic where bunnies were pulled out of top hats,
and the other type of magic was what he always referred to as Real Magic...those events
that happen in accordance to our True Will beyond scientific understanding.
I turned this coin over and over, then I heard a faint voice [whisper] "You think it's
fake, I can always make it look more real"...[/whisper] {switch retained regular quarter for
double-tail quarter} and there I was, holding a quarter with a heads and tails, just
like now.

This was not making sense to me, and I thought I must have been too stressed out or
tired, maybe I dropped the Two Tailed Quarter [look down at ground] then I heard that
faint voice again [whisper] "It is still in your hand"{switch has occurred
during the previous time}...I opened my hand, and there was the Two Tailed Quarter
again! Now my mind was reeling. Having a coin with Two Tails that transforms itself in
so many ways, from having a head to not having a head...changing shape, size, sometimes it
even turns into other coins like pennies and nickels, can you imagine that?

My grandfather often told me the story of Houdini and how Houdini had set up
a special code with his wife, to see if life after death exists...to prove that the
essence exists after the body. One night, when my grandfather was in especially bad condition, he asked me to promise to keep a similar code with him. I promised him, and we set up a special code.

Proving to me was not enough, though. {invisible thread has been attached
from hook-up point to two-tailed quarter} My grandfather wanted to enrich the lives of
all other people, and I have the same goals in my mind during my dealings with the worlds of
magic. He said it was simple. Now, I trust you will not touch this quarter for it is
very special to me and it holds the essence of my grandfather. I simply set the quarter down
on the table and this two-tailed wonder begins to move by itself, or so it would appear.
This quarter does not move by itself. It moves by my grandfather's essence pushing it towards me. Thanks to him, I will never lose this wonderful keepsake, for even if I sold it to
someone or gave it to someone {retention vanish as pretend to hand to spectator}....as a
gift...my grandfather would quickly push it back to me.{reveal coin in other hand,
pluck it up with the opposite hand to get the thread off}

Many a night, I think about my grandfather and all the magical lessons he taught me
throughout his life, his illness, and even now. He taught me how to pass through
obstacles{coin through hand or coin through table}....He taught me that it's
better to be honest than to lie....he taught me that bigger isn't always better{change
quarter into Giant Quarter}...and sometimes things can be done in too much detail{switch
miniature quarter for Giant Quarter}...you have to have the right balance. {switch two-tailed
quarter for mini-quarter, and then drop it on table. If you have a scale like those
seen in the Lady Justice picture, you can produce it here if you want}

These words, my friends, will always resonate within me, as they resonate
within you upon hearing them...the last words my grandfather said{pick up two-tailed
quarter}... "Tell the Tale of Two-Tails". {hold quarter, rotate it for visual effect, put it into
a special bag [or into the coin holder] , and put it away}

(c) 2001 Dale A. Hildebrandt