Top Quality workmanship. They look and feel right.

First, I love it that Meir provides accurate descriptions of the products he sells.

In this case, the coins and shell are exactly as described: Top Quality workmanship. They look and feel right.

The shell fits perfectly; it can not be seen, from the exposed side, even close up. Yet the shell is easily lifted and will not bind.

My only wish is that these would be made in American dollar size; the coins with which I usually perform. Nevertheless, I've made adjustments. I'm loving them.

I would definitely recommend these.

These are great coins for ribbon routines. My hands don't feel comfortable holding dollar size coins. The half dollar size suits me perfectly. The problem is most half dollar size coins I've used have a small hole in them, too small to comfortably thread a 1/4" ribbon through. These completely solve that problem. So, in addtion to looking, sounding, and feeling great, I find them much easier to work with, and much more convincing to present as real coins. I would definitely recommend these.

Highly Recommended

Review by Ryan Plunkett that appeared in the March 2022 issue of the Genii Magazine.

Our props portray a lot about us as performers, both visually and nonverbally. The quality and interest of the objects we deem remarkable enough to include in our magic reflect our aesthetics as storytellers while also adding anchors of realism to our performances. However, the opposite can also be true. When our props look chintzy and cartoonish, they may actively detract from the magic you are trying to present.

The polarization between realistic-looking currencies and cheap replicas is evident in the wide assortment of ridiculous-looking Chinese coins that have found their way to market over the years, which often look more like brightly colored tokens and nothing like ancient currency. If you search hard enough, nice replica Chinese coins do exist, but if an expanded shell is included at all, it is often so poorly made and an obvious afterthought that it renders the entire shellset useless.

Meir Yedid must have felt the same way because he has just introduced an excellent set of coins that solve a lot of shortcomings with other replica coin sets out there.

In 1980, Christian Scherer commissioned a set of halfdollar- sized coins made to look like genuine legal tender. That set inspired Meir to manufacture the coin set I now hold in front of me. Instead of the traditional Chineselooking coins with which we have become familiar, Meir opted for a more conventional Japanese currency to draw his inspiration. Meir then teamed up with Akemi Yoshida to sort through coins until they found a genuine ancient Japanese coin visually appealing for magic and whose design could be slightly modernized for clarity. They settled on a coin from the Taisho Era, from roughly100 years ago. These coins were then enlarged to the size of a US half dollar, were stamped in brass, and were finally given an antique gold finish. After all of that, a slightly larger version of that same coin was minted and then hollowed out with a lathe to create an expanded shell with full coverage, no distortion, and a near-perfect fit. Even looking at the shelled coin from both sides, it is extremely tough to see the edges. When adding the other three coins into the mix, the illusion of four solid coins is persuasive.

Meir’s coin set includes four half-dollar-sized Japanese coins with the included expanded shell. It’s important to note that since the shell hasn’t been expanded but instead milled down from a slightly larger coin, it has no distortion yet still has full coverage over the real coin inside. I’m genuinely impressed with this shell’s quality, especially for the price.

The coins have a nice weight and are treated with a bronze coating to age the brass and prevent it from tarnishing. I like the look of these coins very much, and I’m very excited to see how they age with heavy use. These coins could probably withstand a lifetime of jumping on and off a ribbon with grace and beauty.

As a bonus, Meir has dug deep into his archive and has packaged alongside the coins three stellar “Shelled Coins Across” routines from a few of magic’s legends. The instructional video runs roughly 20 minutes in length and includes: David Roth’s “Shelled Coins Across,” Derek Dingle’s “Silver Quick,” and Michael Gallo’s “Easy Coins Across” taught in full detail by the creators themselves. This is such an excellent inclusion of legacy video to accompany a well-made prop.

Meir also sells additional Japanese coins alongside the shell set for those interested. These extra coins are available for $15 per piece.

I’m often disappointed with replica Chinese coins on the market, but Meir Yedid’s Japanese Coins set with an expanded shell is a great magic prop at a reasonable price. I like the option for additional coins for those who need it, and the included video content is the cherry on top. These are a worthy addition to your favorite coin routines.

Highly Recommended