Leaving Coins on a Gravestone and their meaning – Have you ever seen coins on a gravestone. I’m talking about pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Have you ever wondered what they meant? Each coin has a significant meaning.
Leaving Coins on a Gravestone and their meaning
This tradition has can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Of course, they used different coins, but on a similar premise. I even made this graphic into a free printable!
Feel free to download and print this out! Please, Share this blog post too!
A Penny on a Gravestone
A penny simply means you visited the gravestone.
A Nickle on a Gravestone
A nickle means you and the deceased trained at boot camp together.
A Dime on a Gravestone
A dime means you served with the solider in some capacity.
A Quarter on a Gravestone
A Quarter Means that you were with the solider when they died. Since the quarter is the biggest, that means the most to the family.
A Challenge Coin on a Gravestone
These are special tokens because they let bearers as members of a certain unit be awarded these. These are usually a cherished item. They are usually left there by a comrade-in-arms of the deceased.
Other Items on a Gravestone
Sometimes medals are left or other items. Those all will have special meaning between the one who left it on the gravestone and the one who has passed away.
What Happens to the Coins?
The coins left on gravestones in National Cemeteries and State Veteran Cemeteries are collected and the funds help maintain that cemetery. It could also be used for burial cost for veterans.
Don’t take the money on those Gravestones! That is stealing!
Now there are other legends and myths about coins and the dead. But, that might be for another blog post in the future.
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First published October 22, 2019. Last updated or republished May 27, 2024.
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