If you visited a veteran’s cemetery you may have noticed coins on soldiers’ headstones or graves. The coins are left as a message of respect to the deceased soldier’s family that someone visited the grave. The denomination of the coin left at the grave historically provides a different meaning:
You may also see a different type of coin called a Challenge Coin left on a soldier’s headstone. These are special military coins given to soldiers that designate their membership to specific a military unit. The coins typically display the unit’s crest and motto. During the Vietnam War, it was common for unit members to throw their challenge coins into the grave of a fallen member as a sign of respect.
Leaving coins on graves dates back in history to the Roman Empire where it was believed to provide the deceased with money in the afterlife. In more modern times, during the Vietnam War this practice became more common as a way honor the fallen and communicate a message of respect to the family.
The coins left at the graves are periodically collected by the cemetery and used for maintaining the grounds or distributed to charities.
Today, the tradition of leaving coins on headstones continues and it’s perfectly acceptable for you to leave a coin on soldiers’ grave, even for someone you didn’t know. When leaving a coin, consider reading their headstone, recite their name and think about their service and sacrifice they made for the freedom we cherish.