[1]Thomas Nelson Downs (March 16, 1867 – September 11, 1938) was a manipulative magician known for his coin tricks.

[2][3] Magic historian David Price has written that Downs "was the first of the great manipulative magicians and probably the greatest of them all.

He further mastered his skills by the age of 17, when he took a job as a railway telegrapher and had plenty of time to practice with coins.

By 1897, Downs concentrated only on the coin tricks – a rare specialization at that time, and established himself in vaudeville, which was a popular avenue for magicians.

Not quite comfortable with idle retirement, Downs kept busy by opening a vaudeville house on Main Street, a few blocks from his own home at 7 South 3rd Avenue.

Many visitors, other magicians, streamed to his home to share gossip and the latest tricks as well as to brush elbows with the famous sleight of hand artist.

The most famous of these visitors included Chung Ling Soo (William Robinson) and Dai Vernon.

Houdini had stated that Downs had operated a "fake magic shop" and was in trouble with the federal government for a "swindle.