by Tyler Wilson

I, for one, am intrigued to see what some of you have come up with for this compelling challenge. It's quite the doozie.

For a published routine which accomplishes the effect, check out Gary Kurtz's Counterfeit from the July 1991 issue of Genii Magazine, his Notes From The Summit (1995) lecture notes, and newly in the Bill Switch Compendium from John Lovick titled Switch (2006).

Otherwise, let's explore other options, shall we?

If you want a signature to be on the higher denomination bill as well, simply have the spectator sign both bills in front of everyone. The effect could then be changed into a transposition between the two bills since they are both openly in play from the beginning. The signature portion of the routine ceases to be a transference effect, but rather a proving method to show the bills did in fact switch places. The need for technical details in this regard are not needed as there are plenty of handlings that can accommodate the ploy, such as U.F. Grant's Slow Motion Bill Transposition from Tarbell 3 (1927) and it's many many variants.

But let's think about ways a single bill can be signed and changed into another single bill, still signed, along the lines of the standard Bill Switch:

For those of you who are familiar with my work (all two of you), you will know that I have a special fetish for Post-It Notes (and, well, ear lobes). These can be used as not only a method for this effect, but also as a presentational ploy. You can openly state that it's illegal to deface
currency, so instead of having them sign the bill itself you have them sign a Post-It Note which is then adhered to the bill. Transferring the Post-It Note from one bill to another becomes considerably easier than ink, and therefore less work for my lazy butt to put into this challenge.

If the note is stuck onto the lower right corner of the back side of the bill, the side facing you, performing the standard Koslowski handling for the Bill Switch will allow you to slide the new bill in between the Post-It Note and the first bill. The Post-It Note will now adhere to the new bill as it is opened up and shown to have changed. If performed correctly, the note will be stuck in the exact same location as it was on the first bill. Seriously, try it out, it looks very nice.

Be sure to use the tiny Post-It Notes when trying this out, for if you use the big honkers, you'll end up hiding the vast majority of the bills during the change, which kind of defeats the purpose of the visual techniques employed in such changes.

Lick it & stick it.