This trick was first published in Marty's Magic Ruseletter (Easy Does It, Issue #4). You can read the original write-up on Marty's Bag of Tricks.
This is an elegant interpretation of Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser’s Royal Marriages card plot, inspired by Larry Becker’s “Will the Cards Match?”.
It’s a fantastic piece of table-based magic for couples due to its romantic theme and high level of interaction. It would be a perfect routine to perform at weddings—a popular venue for strolling magic in the UK (but not in the US for some strange reason). The ideal place to perform it would be at the top table for the bride and groom after the newlyweds have finished eating their wedding breakfast. 💒👰🏻🤵🏻🕊
Ten cards—the four Kings, four Queens, and two Jokers—are thoroughly shuffled. They are dealt into two piles of five. Four silver sixpence pieces are used to further randomise the piles. After each shuffle, the top two cards are removed as a pair. This process continues until only two cards remain. When turned over, they reveal themselves as the King and Queen of Hearts—a perfect match! 💕
You point out that all the couples have a lucky silver sixpence except for the King and Queen of Hearts. You pick up these two cards, placing one perpendicular to the other. The cards are gently flexed, and, amazingly, a fifth silver sixpence slides out from between the two cards!
Finally, the discarded pairs are turned face up to unveil another four matching pairs!
“Sixpence Ceremony” is based on Larry Becker’s “Will the Cards Match?”, which was first published in Apocalypse (Vol. 10, No. 5) in May 1987. Larry’s effect is one of the finest self-working card tricks ever created. As described by Harry Lorayne in Apocalypse, the routine involves ten indifferent cards torn in half. The piles are “randomised” by spelling out “WILL THE CARDS MATCH”. As each letter is named, a card is moved from the top to the bottom of one of the piles. A spectator controls the mixing process by indicating which pile should be used for each letter as you spell out the words. Once a word is spelt, the two top cards are placed aside as a pair until only two remain.
The mathematical concept behind the method is known as the Ramasee Principle. Howard A. Adams discovered and published this principle in his manuscript OICUFESP in 1982 (Issue 9). It also appeared in Issue 10 in a trick called “The Ramasee Prophecy”, hence the name.
Instead of using words, it is possible to use counters to “randomly” move cards from top to bottom. The mathematical method will still work, so long as you follow some simple rules:
The number of counters must be one less than the number of cards in each pile. Or, if N is the total number of cards and C the number of counters, C = (N ÷ 2) - 1. We’re using ten cards for this trick, so we must use four counters or (10 ÷ 2) - 1 = 4. Or, there are five cards in each pile, so we need one counter less than this.
After each round, one of the coins must be discarded.
The idea of using counters to replace the spelling of a phrase is from Michael Weber and Tim Trono’s effect, “Money Fixes Everything”, published in Real Secrets #27 (2014).
J.B. Bobo’s Modern Coin Magic (page 88) provides the method for producing a coin between two cards. The technique is not credited to anyone in the book, only that the author learned it from the pages of The Sphinx. Thanks to Rick Holcombe, we now know that the magician who invented this production sequence was Clayton William Rosencrans. He called it “Vis-A-Vis Cards Production Coin” and the original can be found in The Sphinx, No. 3, May 1924 (page 105).
Remove four Kings, four Queens, and two Jokers from a regular deck of playing cards (the Jokers do not need to be identical). Arrange them in the following order (from top to bottom): QD-QS-QH-QC-J-KD-KS-KH-KC-J. Place these in an envelope or wallet. While you can simply remove these cards from the deck during your performance, storing them separately helps to avoid dead time.
You’ll also need five silver sixpence coins. To achieve an authentic presentation, you should use genuine sixpence pieces. However, in a pinch, any silver coin will suffice. These pre-decimal coins from the UK can be purchased in bulk for a relatively small amount, as they are often sold as inexpensive wedding gifts. Check sites like eBay using the search terms “Lucky Silver Sixpence Wedding Gift”. You can also buy freshly minted silver sixpence coins from the Royal Mint, although this option is quite costly. Most sixpence coins sold as keepsakes will have been polished; I prefer coins that appear a bit worn and still exhibit their natural patina. These will cost you a little more than the polished ones. You might also consider spending a bit more on coins with specific dates to use them for additional effects. For example, you could perform a mental effect with the five coins that requires them all to feature different dates.
Put the five coins in your jacket pocket or a coin purse (if you have one).
Remove the ten cards and deal them into two overlapping rows of five cards each. On your left are the four Queens and one of the Jokers. On your right, you have the four Kings and the remaining Joker.
Begin by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, today we embark on a journey through the tapestry of love—a dance of fate and fortune, guided by the hands of destiny. Before us lie ten cards: four noble Kings, four graceful Queens, and two enigmatic Jokers. They represent the myriad paths love can take—some predictable, others filled with surprise.”
Look at your audience and say, “Here we have five couples wishing to get married. Who wants to help me with the ceremony?” Once you have a volunteer, gather the cards without changing their order. It doesn’t matter if the King or Queen packet is on top. However, you must maintain the cyclical stack, e.g., QD-QS-QH-QC-J-KD-KS-KH-KC-J. Each matching value must be six cards apart for the trick to work.
Square up the packet and say, “Finding a perfect match is almost impossible. The odds are against you. Let’s give the cards a thorough shuffle.” Execute a sloppy Charlier Shuffle on the cards: push a few cards from the top of the packet into your right hand with your thumb, transferring them to your left hand. Next, push a similar number of cards from the bottom of the packet and place them on top of the cards already in your right hand. Again, push a few cards from the top of the left-hand stock, adding them to the bottom of the stack in your right hand. Continue alternating in this manner until you run out of cards. While this shuffle looks very convincing, all it does is cut the packet several times, which doesn’t disturb the cyclical nature of the cards.
Next, complete the “randomisation process” by performing a Swindle Shuffle on the packet. Turn to your audience and say, “Let’s mix up the cards a little more using a random mixing procedure similar to what automatic shuffling machines do. It’s called the ‘deal or switch’ shuffle. Do you want to deal or switch?”
If your participant says “deal”, simply deal the top card of the packet to the table. If they call out “switch”, spread the top two cards of the packet and swap their positions before dropping them, as a pair, onto the table. Continue dealing or switching in this manner, as directed by your participant, until all ten cards are in a messy pile on the table. While this “deal or switch” procedure seems to mix up the cards, it only reverses the order of the packet. In fact, it achieves the same result as dealing the cards one at a time to the table.
Pick up the pile and square it up as you say, “Would you like to mix the cards again, or is that enough?” Repeat the “deal or switch” procedure. If your participant decides to continue mixing the cards, complete another Swindle Shuffle as before.
Ask your participant to choose a number less than ten. Push that many cards off the packet into your right hand without changing their order. Drop them on the table, then place the remaining cards from your right hand on top of them, cutting the cards. Repeat this controlled cutting action two more times. The reason for cutting the cards this way is that it is difficult for a spectator to cut a small packet in the usual manner. This approach enables you to keep hold of the cards while still giving your participant complete control over the cutting action.
Next, deal the top five cards of the packet to the table in a single pile. Then, drop the remaining five cards next to it to form a second five-card pile.
Take out four of the sixpence coins from your pocket and drop them in front of the two piles, as you say, “These are lucky silver sixpence coins. First introduced in 1551 during the reign of Edward VI, the sixpence was a staple of national coinage for over 400 years until it was demonetised in 1980. Despite its disappearance from circulation, it remains a part of many long-standing traditions believed to bring good luck.” You then remind your audience of the old rhyme, “Something old, something new... Something borrowed, something blue...” You explain that there is a final line to the poem that many people are unaware of: “...and a silver sixpence in her shoe.”
Hand the four coins to your volunteer, as you say, “In days of old, a silver sixpence was a token of prosperity and unity, often hidden in a bride’s shoe to bless her marriage. Today, we have five such coins, each symbolising a wish for enduring love. A charm of fortune and fate... a marriage blessing. Tonight, five royal couples have been torn apart by time and chance... But what has been separated...” Gesture to the coins, then say, “…may be joined again, with silver’s silent promise.”
Inform your participant that the four lucky silver coins will be used to randomly pair the cards. Instruct your helper to arrange the coins in front of the two piles. She can distribute the coins in any manner she chooses. For instance, she may place all four in front of one pile, two in front of each, or three in front of one and one in front of the other. Once she has done this, deal cards from the top to the bottom of each pile equal to the number of coins in front of it. Take the top card of each pile and deal them, as a pair, to one side. Then say, “One couple, one coin” and place one of the sixpence coins onto the cards.
Repeat the process three more times, leaving you with four pairs with coins on them and a single pair in front of you. Look at the two cards and say, “After this dance of chance, two cards remain. Let’s unveil them.” Turn these two cards over to reveal that they form a perfect match. As your audience reacts, secretly steal the fifth card from your pocket. Pick up the two cards and say, “Behold—the King and Queen of Hearts. Amidst the randomness, love finds its perfect match! But something is amiss, this couple didn’t get a lucky silver sixpence... Let’s fix that.” Load the fifth coin below the cards as you pick up the pair, and then perform the two-card production of the coins, as taught by Rick Holcolme in the video below:
Place the two cards face up on the table, then drop the coin atop “the happy couple.” Next, ask your audience how many of the other four couples they believe match perfectly. Dramatically turn the pairs over to reveal a 100% success rate and then say, “Each pair, a testament to the serendipity that binds souls together... May this ceremony remind us that love, guided by fate and sealed with a silver promise, always finds its way.”
Gather the cards, returning them to their original order. Replace them in the envelope or wallet. Pick up the five coins and put them back into your pocket.
I decided to include the two Jokers in the routine because this allows me to perform with ten cards and five coins. The pairing process with the coins is more convincing and feels more random when you use more counters (I believe four is the minimum you should use). Naturally, you can perform the routine with just the Kings and Queens (a total of eight cards). However, in this case, you need to use three coins for the elimination process. This could be a good option if you want to end with four coins to perform a trick like Al Schneider’s “Matrix".
Another interesting idea is to introduce all five silver sixpence pieces at the beginning of the routine. This will allow you to repeatedly demonstrate the elimination process using these five coins without the top cards matching. Regardless of how many are placed in front of each of the two piles, all combinations will result in the top two cards mismatching. Replace the cards and repeat the demonstration two or three more times. These demonstrations enhance the impact of the trick’s grande finale by proving that the two top cards do not always match. Then place one of the coins aside for the last two cards.
Instead of leaving the fifth coin in your pocket for later retrieval, you can remove all five at the beginning. Drop four onto the table in front of the piles, then take the fifth and discreetly place it in your lap. This will allow you to secure the coin more easily towards the end of the routine.
Another related idea is to vanish one of the five coins by lapping it. This leaves your participant with the four necessary coins to use. Vanish the coin and say, “Look, one of the coins has vanished. Quick, take the other four before they disappear too!” You can then reproduce the fifth coin between the last two cards (as previously described). Taking this idea to its logical conclusion, you could progressively vanish all five coins, leaving the required amount to match the cards each time. Then, as Rick Holcolme teaches in the video above, you can reproduce all five coins between the cards at the end of the routine. Another idea is to vanish each coin and secretly place it beneath the two matched cards as you put them on the table. You can reproduce the coin between the two cards before revealing that each pair is a perfect match. If you’re already accomplished at performing Matrix-style routines involving the vanish and reproduction of coins, then I believe these ideas are worth exploring. Of course, these ideas make the routine more complex, moving it away from its self-working roots. However, I don’t think this is a bad direction if that’s the type of magic you enjoy performing.
To enhance the aesthetic, consider using a vintage-style envelope for the cards and a small ornate box or coin pouch for the sixpence coins (the fifth coin could be hidden in the base of the box until you need it). You could also integrate an Okito Box into the routine to facilitate the progressive disappearance of the five coins (sixpence coins should easily fit into an Okito Box designed for half dollars).
A good, alternative presentation idea is to use the names of famous historical and fictional couples written on blank-faced playing cards instead of regular playing cards. Here are some examples:
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy
Harry and Sally
Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester
Anthony and Cleopatra
Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara
Romeo and Juliet
Samson and Delilah
I prefer not to use Hollywood or celebrity couples because there’s no guarantee they’ll still be together when you perform the trick! The advantage of this approach is that couples become more relatable. It also allows you to extend the trick beyond just five cards. For instance, if you use the list above, you will perform the trick with 14 cards and seven sixpence coins. Additionally, using names written on the cards better conceals the mathematical nature of the method.
Consider presenting the final sixpence to the couple as a memento of their experience. Leaving two cards and a single sixpence coin with the couple is certainly a wise move if you present this at a wedding. You may give them the final two cards, or the King and Queen of Hearts, as they are the most romantic pair in the deck.
This is a captivating and unforgettable reinterpretation of a classic self-working card trick. While producing the final fifth silver coin isn’t strictly necessary, it adds an extra moment of magic and extends the routine’s stunning climax, enhancing its impact. By infusing your performance with these romantic elements, you transform a simple magic trick into a memorable story of love and destiny.