Coins for the dead is a form of respect for the dead or

bereavement Grief is the response to the loss of something deemed important, particularly to the death of a person to whom or animal to which a bond or affection was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, grief also ha ...

. The practice began in

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

when people believed the dead needed

coins A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...

to pay a

ferryman A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

to cross the river

Styx In Greek mythology, Styx (; ; lit. "Shuddering"), also called the River Styx, is a goddess and one of the rivers of the Greek Underworld. Her parents were the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, and she was the wife of the Titan Pallas and the moth ...

. In modern times the practice has been observed in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

: visitors leave coins on the gravestones of former military personnel.

History

Ancient practice

Mary Ann Nichols grave marker at City of London Cemetery and Crematorium 2

Cemetery visitors began the practice of leaving coins for the dead in ancient Greece and

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

. It was believed that when people died, they needed coins to pay

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon ( ; ) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the worlds of the living and ...

to cross the river Styx. It was believed that without coins, the dead would not be able to cross, and they would therefore live on the banks of the Styx river for 100 years. Ancient Egyptians followed the practice of burying people with riches that they might need in the next life. Greeks were also known to put a coin known as

Charon's obol Charon's obol is an allusive term for the coin placed in or on the mouth of a dead person before burial. Greek and Latin literary sources specify the coin as an obol, and explain it as a payment or bribe for Charon, the ferryman who conveyed s ...

in the mouths of deceased people.

Modern practice

In modern times the practice of leaving coins for the dead has been primarily for the military graves. The practice of leaving coins at military personnel grave markers is primarily both American and Canadian tradition. It is seen as a way to show respect for the person's sacrifice. Each denomination of American and Canadian coins signifies the level of relationship the visitor had with the dead. *Penny means a person visited. *Nickel means the visitor went to bootcamp with the decedent. *Dime means the visitor served with the deceased. *Quarter means the visitor was present when the decedent was killed. Some large cemeteries discourage the practice of leaving coins: Barbara Lewandowski, a spokesperson for

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

, has asked visitors not to leave coins, because they cause injuries during grass cutting. She said leaving coins at the military cemetery was very common.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coins on graves Social history of the United States Funerals in the United States Social history of Canada Funerals in Canada Trinkets left at Graves Death in Greek mythology Death customs Roman mythology Coins

History

Ancient practice

Modern practice

See also

References