Fingertips Coins Across

Fingertips Coins Across is a coin routine, created by Jonathan Townsend and later popularized by Chris Kenner as "Three Fly". Coins appear to magically jump from one hand to the other while the hands are held at shoulder width apart.

This effectively brought the standard Coins Across from a close-up routine, with spectators looking down at the table, to a stand up environment.

Versions have been developed for both gimmicked and ungimmicked coins.

History

In the early 1980s, Townsend was showing around some novel ideas with coins in which he put into a Coins Across routine and then dropped out of the magic scene in New York City in 1982.

In 1987, Townsend taught it to Chris Kenner and Bob Kohler who went on to further develop and publish their own versions. Kenner's handling was published in a booklet called "3 Fly", as "Three Fly" in Magic Man Examiner (1991) and in Totally Out of Control (1992) under the title "Menage et Trois."

Genii published excepts from Townsend's book in progress, "In Plain View", in September 2006 issue which explains much of the history and his creative process.

Variations

• Bob Kohler's "Ulti­mate Three Fly"
• Scottish Fly by R. Paul Wilson Genii 1999 July