I came up with this little goodie when we were filming our first video "The Secrets Of Custom Flashpaper." The inevitable question kept coming up, "what can we do with all this paper?" (other than have a LOT of fun)!

It would be an understatement to say we went a little nuts with the paper during filming. We had literally HUNDREDS of large sheets we made ourselves for almost nothing, so we did hundred wad flashes and made slightly dangerous mega cannons.

Though we didn't film most of these, our philosophy during those months was "everything must flash."

There are still some dangerous scenes I'd like to edit out or replace, but what the heck, it was our first video!

    The magician's sleeves are rolled up, and he is seated at the table.  A large coin is clearly shown and is then openly wrapped in a piece of ordinary tissue paper. The tissue paper containing the coin is then banged on the table top (where the coin can clearly be heard) a few times to show the coin is still in place in the paper.

    Without it ever leaving sight, the coin/paper are held high in the air, and ignited with a lighter. There is a FLASH, and the coin has vanished. Apparently completely disintigrated!

    The coin is held openly in the left hand, the flashpaper square is layed on top of the coin (concealing coin and hand momentarily). While you pretend to grasp the coin in the paper with the right hand, you secretly backpalm (or back clip) the coin in the left hand. This is EASILY done because the hand is concealed behind the paper.

    As you lift the paper away with the right hand (pretending to hold the coin through the paper) the left hand seems to be empty!

    You now do what I call "slight of ear" magic! You pretend to bang the coin on the table. In reality, you make the noise by banging the coin in your left hand UNDER the table while PRETENDING to bang the coin in the paper on top. (This is VERY convincing.)

    Now, the last move is easy! You reach into your pocket with your left hand to get your lighter (ditching the coin in the pocket at the same time), remove the lighter, light the paper and viola! The coin has disintegrated!

    In the video I also did a variation of this that was even simpler. I lit a dollar bill on fire (which was a flash bill) and after it had burned (in a brilliant flash) I opened my hand to reveal 4 quarters. (Change for the dollar.) I'm still asked how I do this all the time, which is BAFFLING to me as there is no trick! I simply hold the quarters in my hand the whole time. By moistening my fingers I am able to hold the flash bill the whole time it burns, then open my hand to reveal the quarters! The Flash Bill is made from a real dollar bill using the method in the video, so, it is a perfect switch!