The Expansion of Texture - Expanded!

Robert-Houdin called the great-grandfather of this pretty feat “The Magical Filtration of Five-Franc Pieces.” A still later version of the trick, “The Expansion of Texture,” was said to be the masterpiece of the celebrated L'Homme Masque, and is described on page 240 of Downs' The Art of Magic. The routine described here is a combination of the two preceding tricks, Silver or Copper Extraction, and Copper Penetration, and follows closely the version taught by that arch-hierophant of sleight of hand, Dai Vernon, in his lectures a few years ago.