How to Roll a Coin on Your Knuckles

Any coin trick master can be observed doing this, rolling a coin down his fingers from the index to the pinky and back again. It's often referred to as a knuckle roll. A small scene from the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, can demonstrate Jack Sparrow doing this. It requires more practice than skill, and this will show you how.

Steps   

  1. Imagine the knuckle that connects your index finger to your hand as being 0 and the knuckle exactly between your hand and the finger tip as being 1. The knuckle closest to your nail isn't used at all.
  2. Open your hand flat with fingers together.
  3. Bend your fingers down using knuckle 0 on all fingers until they are 90 degrees with your palm.
  4. Bend all 4 fingers at knuckle 1 so that they are now parallel with your palm. This is the position your hand will be in during the coin roll.
  5. Place a coin on index finger between knuckles 0 and 1.
  6. Lift your middle finger slightly so that in can snag the right edge of the coin rolling it 180° onto the middle finger between knuckles 0 and 1.
  7. Repeat this with the third finger.
  8. Note that the pinky is a bit different in that instead of rolling it onto the back of it; you allow the coin to slip through the crack of the fingers where your thumb will retrieve the coin on the side of the thumb close to its tip.
  9. Balance the coin back to your index finger and place it again between knuckles 0 and 1 exactly where you started.
  10. Repeat as often as desired.


Tips   

  • The best practice method for gaining speed is to carry the coin with you always in your pocket and when there is a free moment use it to busy yourself.
  • Angle your hand slightly downward to use gravity to help roll the coin over. This helps gain speed and looks better.
  • It may take about six months of constant practice to obtain smoothness with both hands. Gaining a knack for something just takes time.
  • Once two hands can do it, try placing your hands "inline" with each other during the roll for an extra long roll. Switch hand places when it reaches the end and start over.
  • A half dollar (larger coin) works the best, although, if hands are small a quarter (smaller coin) will do, but the weight is better on a half dollar. This can also be done with a poker chip.
  • Once you master it in one direction, learn how to turn it around on your ring finger so you can roll it back and forth.