Magical Gold from the Green River

 

You might have seen a collectible like this sold to magic collectors as a “magic token.”  Yet examination of this coin reveals nothing about any particular magician, unlike tokens for many of the performers seen on this site, like T. Nelson Downs and Howard Thurston.  What makes this token a magic collectible is an audacious advertising scheme by the purveyors of Green River Whiskey, which parallels the cobranding efforts of playing card manufacturers in producing some of the best throwing cards.  In fact, our discussion of the promotional efforts by Bicycle Playing cards foreshadows the marketing bonanza which yielded magical gold from the Green River.  

In November 1935, the makers of the subject spirits took out a full page ad in the The Linking Ring offering the following:

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The ad tries to reassure skeptical magicians (a group bombarded by more false claims than perhaps any other), noting "No catch. No gimmick. A genuine offer to introduce GREEN RIVER."  The editors amplified the offer in the magazine’s pages, noting "you will note an advertisement of the Oldetyme Distillers, Inc., of New York City, and no magician should fail to get a stack of these coins. This is purely an advertising medium for GreenRiver whiskey.We feel this is very kind in this company and they will advertise themselves with the magicians of this country in a way that will get them much mention in the performances of the thousands of magicians to whom the Linking Ring goes.”

By February 1936, Linking Ring continued to trumpet the offer, saving the distillers the cost of taking another ad,“From GREEN RIVER comes 50 bright new gold pieces to do trickswith. Better send and get yours, it is a mighty nice thing of them to offer these."  Well, sort of.  It was clearly calculated to generate publicity.  But in depression era America, it was quite generous.    

And their advertising efforts were not limited to just giving away free coins.  “In 1935 and 1936, Annemann devised a night club routine during which he produced a Bottle of Green River Whisky and presented other tricks plugging the product,” Jean Hugard wrote in Magic Magazine for March 1960. “Under the liquor company's sponsorship he toured for six months in the middle west, then came east with ‘The Green River Revue.’” 

Indeed, The Sphinx reported in March 1936 that  “Theodore Annemann, S.A.M. (Syracuse Assembly), of Waverly, N. Y., billed as"The Deceptionist Supreme," and Jean Irving, S.A.M. (Parent Assembly), of Jersey City, N. J. ‘presenting prestidigitational peculiarities’ have been playing in the Green River Revue which has been on tour as an advertising proposition for Green River Whiskey.”

“At this writing I've completed nine weeks with the Green River Revue and the end hasn't popped, into view as yet,” Annemann wrote in the Jinx for March 1936. “From Pittsburgh to New York for the annual Liquor Show we have covered 117 night clubs and dinner spots.”

That’s a lot of advertising, in the hands of master like Ted Annemann.  Not bad for the cost of some fake gold coins . . . Those coins do seem lucky.  Maybe I should pick one up some day.   

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