Magic of D.W.

Penny Into the Arm

Effect
You tell the audience that you will attempt to push a penny through your skin and right into your arm. Placing your arm on the table, bent at the elbow, you pick up a penny and begin to rub it against your forearm. After a few seconds, you release your hand, and the penny drops to the table. Slightly stunned that it didn't work the first try, you pick up the penny and try again. When you release your hand, again, the penny drops to the table. Still a bit perplexed, but not too worried, you pick up the penny and try again. This time, after a few seconds and some obvious trying, your release your hand, and the penny has indeed penetrated your skin and into your arm.

Preparation
None really, it just usually helps to be seated at a table. It also helps to have a shirt that is tucked in, but is not mandatory.

The Secret
This is a great effect that uses the power of repetition. You will find that this is used many times in magic to setup an effect. You repeat the same steps over and over seemingly doing nothing, but in truth you are conditioning the audience's subconscious to see something that isn't really there! So, with this effect, you will need to be sitting at a table or standing at a tall table / bar. Have the penny sitting on the table in front of you. You may also borrow a penny from someone and place it on the table in front of you. Pick the penny up in your RIGHT hand and place it in your left hand. Bend the right arm with palm facing up towards your shoulder / neck. With penny in left hand rub it against the right forearm. After about four rubs up and down, let go, and allow the penny to drop. Next, do the EXACT same thing again! This is key, when the penny is lying down on the table, pick it up with the right hand again, then place it in your left hand, exactly how we did it the first time. Repeat all the steps, rubbing, and letting it drop. Now for the third and final time, pick up the penny with the right hand, and appear to place it in the left hand, but actually keep it in the right. When you move the right hand up towards the shoulder / neck area, you can secretly discard the coin down the back of your own shirt, while the left hand is seemingly rubbing the coin, into the arm. Then "PRESTO!"... Let go with the left hand and show the coin has magically penetrated into your arm, and disappeared. If you immediately jump up and try to run off, the penny will probably drop down your shirt an fall out of the bottom of your pants and hit the floor. Then the Jig is up! There are a number of variations here, experiment and have fun!