Have you ever visited the Veterans Memorial Cemetery (or any other one, for that matter) and noticed coins on the grave markers? I did and looked into what the significance of leaving coins on tombstones was … there seems to be two reasons, both of which are really cool.
A visitor to a grave could mean that a veteran who served with the deceased visited the grave and has left a down-payment on buying their fallen friend a drink or play a hand of cards when they finally reunite. And it can also be a message of respect left for the veteran’s family with each coin denomination signifying something different:
- A penny at the grave says that you visited
- A nickel means that you and the deceased were in boot camp together
- A dime means that you served together
- And lastly, a quarter lets the family know that you were with the fallen soldier when he or she was killed
So the next time you see coins on a grave, you’ll know it’s not just pocket change, but priceless messages being left by vets for vets and/or their families…
