We’re coming up on Memorial Day, and I found that quite a few folks didn’t know this about coins on headstones (specifically military headstones)…
The tradition of leaving coins on the headstones of military men and women can be traced to as far back as the Roman Empire.
Yes, it’s purposefully blurred, the point is to show the coins.
While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave.
These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America’s military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.
A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect.
- Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited.
- Leaving a nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together.
- Leaving a dime means you served together in some capacity.
- Leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the soldier when they were killed.
According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent veterans.
In the US, this practice became common during the Vietnam war, due to the political divide in the country over the war, 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.
Some Vietnam veterans would leave coins as a “down payment” to buy their fallen comrades a beer or play a hand of cards when they would finally be reunited.
(I will note that there are ‘exceptions’ based on a couple of different units. One is the 555th TFW (USAF) and the others are USS HAGGARD DD-555 and USS DOLPHIN AGSS-555. A nickel is used in all cases for these units according to various things I’ve found.
I have several family members interred at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam, MA. I am there frequently with The Patriot Guard or just on my own, usually on my bike. I always leave a bright shiny penny from the current year on their headstones. I plan on going there today and leaving flowers as well.
Glypto- Thank you!
It’s important to honor our fallen. This is one way to do it. Thanks OLD NFO.
My father served aboard the Haggard. He turned 98 in March. Short term memory sketchy at times but oh my the stories. The last ship reuonion was in 2012. He was a plank owner on the Haggard. Thanks for mentioning it. The major plaque is at the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg Tx. I have a list of the engine room crew killed by the Kamikaze. Getting dusty gotta go.