Coins On Headstones?
Shared By Mark Flippo
What is the meaning of coins on headstones? Placing a coin on headstones of a service member or veteran is a show of respect and honor, as well as letting the deceased service member’s family know someone was there, but the denomination of the coins each has a distinct and significant meaning.
Here is the breakdown:
A penny: This means someone has visited the grave.
A nickel: This signifies that the visitor served with the deceased service member at boot camp.
A dime: A dime means the visitor and deceased service member served together at some point.
A quarter: Be prepared to have some tissue on hand when you see this denomination on a headstone. This coin is left by someone who was physically with the service member when they died.
Where did this tradition come from? According to an article by the Department of Military Affairs, the custom of leaving coins with the deceased can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Coins were placed into the mouth of fallen soldiers to pay for passage and protection across the "River" Styx, which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. In Navy mythology, coins were placed under the mast of a ship to pay the “ferryman” for safe transport to the afterlife in the event sailors died at sea.
The custom gained popularity in the U.S. during the Vietnam War as a way to honor the fallen during a time of upheaval and political divide over a controversial war. The variety of coins placed on the gravestone were a way to quietly honor service members and communicate a message of respect from family members.
http://moderndayparablesrcf.com
Shared By Mark Flippo
What is the meaning of coins on headstones? Placing a coin on headstones of a service member or veteran is a show of respect and honor, as well as letting the deceased service member’s family know someone was there, but the denomination of the coins each has a distinct and significant meaning.
Here is the breakdown:
A penny: This means someone has visited the grave.
A nickel: This signifies that the visitor served with the deceased service member at boot camp.
A dime: A dime means the visitor and deceased service member served together at some point.
A quarter: Be prepared to have some tissue on hand when you see this denomination on a headstone. This coin is left by someone who was physically with the service member when they died.
Where did this tradition come from? According to an article by the Department of Military Affairs, the custom of leaving coins with the deceased can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Coins were placed into the mouth of fallen soldiers to pay for passage and protection across the "River" Styx, which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. In Navy mythology, coins were placed under the mast of a ship to pay the “ferryman” for safe transport to the afterlife in the event sailors died at sea.
The custom gained popularity in the U.S. during the Vietnam War as a way to honor the fallen during a time of upheaval and political divide over a controversial war. The variety of coins placed on the gravestone were a way to quietly honor service members and communicate a message of respect from family members.
http://moderndayparablesrcf.com