Are coins on a headstone random, or do they have a larger symbolic meaning? We got to the bottom of this mystery.
If You See Coins on a Headstone, This Is What It Means
Updated on Mar. 03, 2025
Have you ever seen a bunch of coins on a headstone and wondered why they were there? They weren’t placed there by accident—after all, cemeteries aren’t exactly the places people go to empty their pockets. It’s clear that these coins carry deep significance, but is it more than just a message understood only by the person who left them and the deceased? In a word, yes, and chances are, it’s not what you think.
While this custom has a long, storied history, it is also uniquely American in some ways. “The U.S. is unique in how we bury people,” says Kenneth T. Jackson, PhD, a professor emeritus of history at Columbia University. “For instance, grave plots are assumed to belong to that person forever, and that extends to the types of items people leave on graves, giving them a feeling of permanence.” That’s where these “grave goods” come into play.
To uncover the meaning of this tradition and some interesting facts about it, Reader’s Digest spoke with Jackson, as well as Perky Beisel, a historical preservationist and the president of the Association for Gravestone Studies, and Cliff Plowman, a Lt. Col. with the U.S. Army Reserves. Read on to find out why people leave coins on headstones—and what you should do if you see them.
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What does it mean when you see coins on a headstone?
Coins on a headstone signify that someone has visited the grave and paid their respects, Beisel says. And it can also be a source of comfort for loved ones when they see tangible reminders that others are remembering and visiting the person they miss so much.
While anyone may choose to do this, you may see this type of remembrance even more at the grave sites of servicemen and women. Military units, especially those deployed overseas, form intense bonds, and they often choose objects that hold meaning for their group, explains Plowman. “I’ve seen units pick the strangest things that then become really important to that group,” he says. “It could be anything—any small object that represents something they’ve been through together—but coins are a pretty common one.”
Bringing a coin to a fellow soldier’s grave becomes a way to honor their service and shared experiences. “Military people really aren’t going to leave flowers, you know,” Plowman adds. “For those who struggle with showing emotion—which is a lot of people in the military—this is a way to express deep feelings without having to say it out loud.”
Whether left by a fellow veteran or a civilian loved one, a coin on a grave is rarely random—it’s a quiet yet powerful gesture of memory and connection. The coins may be small in value, but their significance runs deep. For military members, the type of coin may be an indication of the relationship the person had with the deceased in their service. (More on that below.)
How did this tradition start?
“It’s a combination of mythology and tradition,” Beisel says. First, the mythology: Coins at grave sites have been a practice since the ancient Greeks, when people were buried with money to pay Charon to ensure their passage across the river Styx into the Underworld. Coins were often placed over the eyes or in the mouth of the deceased, and this tradition spread to many European cultures and persisted even long after people stopped believing in the Greek and Roman myths.
While some cultures still include coins inside the coffin or grave, this tradition has mostly evolved into placing the coins directly on headstones or graves. This may be partly due to practicality as the practice of cremation has become more common. “Americans are unique in that we still want to embalm and bury our dead in a way that will preserve them for decades or longer,” Jackson explains. “Most cultures encourage cremation.” You can’t include coins or other metal objects in a crematorium, so loved ones may have decided to carry on the tradition by placing it on the grave marker instead.
Of course, most people today don’t know the larger history behind coins on headstones. Instead, “the most common reason people leave coins on gravestones these days is they see other people do it and so they want to join in,” Beisel says.
How did this become a military tradition?
Immigrants likely brought the cultural practice here, but placing coins atop headstones wasn’t widely practiced in American cemeteries until the Vietnam War, when the military significance originated. The war caused intense political division in the United States, making it difficult for some veterans to reach out to a fallen soldier’s family. “Leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier’s family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war,” according to the Department of Military Affairs.
U.S. military graves also hold a unique significance. “We are pretty much the only country that makes every effort to bring back bodies, identify them and have them buried here,” Jackson says. “Most countries bury them where they fall.” Because of this, visiting an American military grave can feel particularly meaningful—knowing that the headstone marks the actual resting place of the fallen rather than just a symbolic marker. This deeper connection may encourage visitors to leave a physical token of respect, such as a coin.
How common is this?
While you will occasionally still see coins on a headstone in cemeteries, “this practice is not very common anymore, even in dedicated military cemeteries,” Beisel says. Jackson agrees, saying that it was most common during the Vietnam War and the decades right after. By the 2000s, it started to fall by the wayside as digital and online memorials became widespread and offered an easier way to communicate respect and share memories.
That said, coins on headstones are more common in battlefield cemeteries (like Arlington National Cemetery, reserved for soldiers who were killed in action) versus veterans cemeteries, which allow for the burial of any veteran and their spouse. You’re more likely to see the coins piled around the bases of the markers in battlefield cemeteries due to the significance of the deceased having died while actively serving in the military and then being visited by a fellow soldier.
However, this practice is now being discouraged in many cemeteries. “It’s a safety issue with the riding mowers most groundskeepers use,” Beisel explains. “A small metal coin in the grass can quickly become a dangerous projectile, causing damage to other graves or even injuring people.”
What do different coins mean?
The meaning of coins on nonmilitary gravestones is respect and remembrance. The denominations may have larger symbolic meaning, though, for veterans leaving coins for fallen comrades. Here’s a breakdown of their meanings, according to the Wounded Warrior Project:
- Pennies: Someone visited to pay their respects.
- Nickels: The visitor trained with the deceased in boot camp.
- Dimes: The visitor served alongside the deceased.
- Quarters: The visitor was physically present when the person died.
Plowman says he has never personally seen coins used in the above way, but he has seen two other types of coins left on military gravestones. The first is a “challenge coin,” which a soldier leaves on the gravestone of a soldier they served closely with. “This is a coin given specifically to their unit by their commanding officer as an informal recognition of an achievement, and soldiers take great pride in having these coins,” he says. “Leaving one on top of a buddy’s grave is a high honor.”
Rarely, you may see a silver dollar on a grave. “When a new officer gets commissioned, he gives a silver dollar to the first noncommissioned serviceman to salute him or her,” Plowman explains. The soldier may put the silver dollar on the officer’s grave as a token of respect and a memorial of their relationship.
How many coins do people generally leave?
Most people leave a single coin, but some may leave more for personal reasons. The number of coins doesn’t hold any particular significance other than perhaps to mark how many times the person has visited. But, as noted above, the denomination of the coin can be significant.
One strange exception to this rule is the pile of coins atop the grave of John Wilkes Booth, who, of course, shot Abraham Lincoln. The gravestone of the famous assassin is simply a blank white stone … covered in a growing pile of pennies.
“That is certainly one of the most memorable uses of ‘grave goods’ I’ve seen,” Beisel says.
What’s going on here? Consider who the face on the penny is. Yep, it’s Honest Abe himself, the man Booth murdered. People leave the pennies as a way of showing Booth who got the last word.
What should you do if you see coins left on a gravestone?
Leave them right where they are. You should never touch coins—or anything else—left on a gravestone because every token has a personal meaning. These items are not simply left behind by accident—they’re meaningful symbols for grieving families. Out of respect for both the deceased and their loved ones, it’s important to avoid disturbing or taking them, Beisel says.
In most cemeteries, coins left on graves accumulate over time. Periodically, cemetery staff may collect them and use the funds for upkeep—for example, to maintain the graves and surrounding areas.
What if you want to tidy up? “Please don’t pick up anything left on a gravestone, even if you think it’s trash,” Beisel says, adding that people often leave things like beer cans or empty glass jars for personal reasons.
FAQs
What other tokens can you leave on a grave?
“There is a beautiful array of seemingly random objects that people leave as grave goods,” Beisel says. “Many just have personal significance, but others hold deeper cultural meanings. Here are some things you may see on gravestones in addition to coins:
- Flowers
- Stuffed animals and toys
- Religious tokens, such as candles, incense, rosaries and small statues
- Food (though this is usually discouraged in the U.S.)
- Personal mementos, such as pictures, letters and small items of personal significance
Each token has its own meaning but universally represents love, respect or remembrance. Note that if any of these are important to you personally, you should plan to pick them up after a week or two because the cemetery will eventually clean them up and throw them away.
What does leaving a rock on a grave mean?
One of Jackson’s favorite grave-marker traditions is the placement of small stones or pebbles on a gravestone. In Jewish tradition, visitors leave the small rocks on graves as a sign that someone has been there to remember the deceased. This practice likely originated from ancient customs, when people used stones to mark burial sites and protect the dead. Over time, it became a lasting symbol of respect and memory.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece about coins on a headstone, Charlotte Hilton Anderson tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who covers etiquette and communication, as well as the meaning behind common curiosities, for Reader’s Digest. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Perky Beisel, historical preservationist, president of the Association for Gravestone Studies, professor and graduate director of the Public History Program in the Department of History at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas; phone interview, Feb. 10, 2025
- Kenneth T. Jackson, PhD, professor emeritus of history at Columbia University and author of 13 books, including Cities in American History; phone interview, Feb. 15, 2025
- Cliff Plowman, Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army Reserves; phone interview, Feb. 15, 2025
- Wounded Warrior Project: “The Meaning Behind Coins on Military Graves”
- Department of Military Affairs: “Coins on Headstones Meaning”
