The Irish have long told the tale of the Faerie Shilling and the hapless traveler who foolishly accepted money from the Good People. As with all faerie magic, the shilling was a curse disguised as a blessing, for when he spent the coin, no matter how often, he would soon find it back amongst his small change. He might buy a drink at the pub or a bit of bread from the market, receive his few pennies in return, and lo! there would be the faerie shilling again resting beside the money he had been given. Used wisely, he realized, he could grow wealthy with this one coin. But that was the curse, indeed, for he soon discovered that his heart was growing greedy, and sin knocked upon him to find its way in. Try as he might, he could not rid himself of the coin, for it ever returned again and again. At last in desperation for his soul, so the tale tells, he carried the coin to church where the good priest blessed it and, even as he did so, the shilling melted as dew in the warm sunshine.

The Faerie Shilling is a triumph of storytelling magic from Prof BC's Realm of Faerie collection. You display a handsome but meagre Irish purse from which you remove a rare collection of old Irish coins including a shilling some half-century old. As you tell the tale, you illustrate it with the coins--and no matter where the shilling is put away (or how often!) it ends up back amongst the copper coins. Do note: these are absolutely genuine, increasingly rare and beautiful coins.

The shilling reappears in the spec's hand, in the performer's hand, back in the purse, and even appears to materialize in full view of the scrutinizing eye of the spectator. But there is so much more. The story of the Faerie Shilling tells of how a blessing melts the coin to nothing, and this is precisely how half of the finale proceeds. Your spec will actually see a holy prayer cause the coin to melt away from view as it sits upon your open hand. The coin is never hidden, the hand is not closed; the cursed shilling gradually grows invisible until it is seen no more. But the second half of the finale is even more remarkable as your spec discovers where the shilling has gone--literally to another plane of existence--and she has the souvenir of it to keep forever.

No skill required (though skilled manipulations can be employed to add to your personal routine if desired). Dozens of handlings included in the 30+-page performance manual. Routine after routine also included to stimulate you to create your own memorable storytelling experience. Make it as dark or charming as you desire, as long or as short. It can even be performed as a rapid, one-off coin effect if you desire. The full, traditional Irish tale is also included for your adaptation.

Here at last is a genuine bizarre coin routine--an exquisitely realized tale, fully demonstrated, rather than the usual magical coin trick (that is over after one or two quick surprises). The shilling may reappear as often as your personal tale requires--once, six times, a dozen or more, and always in the most extraordinary, unexpected and impossible manner--and always a different, magical appearance (not just the same 'move' repeated over and over). Surprise builds upon surprise, particularly when the spec begins to look for the coin to appear only to be surprised by how and where it materializes this time.

No strings, wires, sticky stuff, or coin skills required. Nothing to wear out or replace. Openly show the coins before, during, and after each phase of the tale as well as showing your empty hands and empty purse over and over. Start and end completely clean with all coins open for full inspection (if you desire) because they are genuine, antique Irish coins. No suspicious moves. Handle the coins just as anyone would normally handle coins. You read correctly that the magic can (and does) happen in the spec's hand (because, of course, faerie magic happens everywhere).

You receive a handsome Irish purse of green-and-gold brocade cloth with silk lining (a Prof BC handmade creation), an impressive collection of time-worn authentic antique Irish coins, a Holy Prayer Card (for protection from faeries), and Prof BC's exclusive 'Impossible' coin in addition to a few very special surprises calculated to delight you. Everything you require to create your own highly individualized presentation is included, but take special note that this is a coin kit exclusively for bizarre storytelling--finger-flingers and 'coin guys' need not apply.

As with all of Prof BC's Realm of Faerie creations, The Faerie Shilling at last allows the bizarrist to take full advantage of those lucrative engagements where death themes and dark elements would be inappropriate whilst giving the performer the flexibility to adapt the routine into extremely dark presentations when required.