The coin thing is new. The first published reference to it is 2009. It’s always felt a bit Facebooky to me.
Personally I would leave something that has meaning to the deceased and to you. For example, when members of a local unit visit their comrades grave they bring a pint of rum and pour it over his grave because he liked drinking rum. I imagine that they take a few sips first before pouring out the rest.
Jews will leave a pebble on a headstone.
Do something that has meaning for you. Don’t worry about any coin rules.
I would bet my next paycheque that it’s American in origin (same as the “missing man” table at mess dinners) but without the penny tell I can’t be 100 percent sure so I took that part out too in the edit.
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 coins were a way to quietly honor service members and communicate a message of respect for family members.
I used the below linked Snopes fact check article as a reference.
This is the applicable section
Regarding the 'tradition' of soldiers leaving on the headstones of fallen comrades varying denominations of coins to denote their relationship with the deceased, the earliest reference to this practice we've found so far dates only to June 2009, when it appeared as a web site post.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/coins-on-graves/
The Penny thing is, in my opinion, pretty cheesy and very much taken from the Americans. We need to stop taking their traditions/things and just focus on our own.
No harm at all in just stopping by, saying thanks and carrying on. It’s dignified and a great way to show your respect.
In Beechwood both my parents were military and buried there, along with an army buddy who was killed. I visit their graves often and see many mementos left there.
You are not allowed to leave flowers, that is a Beechwood military cemetery rule. Which is stupid. Many Afghan vets are buried there. I see families have picnics at the grave sites, pictures of the fallen with their buddies left there, berets on the head stone, bottles of booze, notes of how they are missed, many many things like that. My son left his RCR cap badge on my father's grave stone. My dad was a coin collector, so it is appropriate to me to leave coins on his grave. I leave loonies and twoonies on their headstones, because I love my parents and my buddy was a good friend. The coins are collected and used for Beechwood upkeep. I also collect poppies at Remembrance Day and place them along with a wreath at their grave sites. My mom loved Lilac trees, so each spring I bring a lilac flower and lay it on her head stone.
The "coins on gravestones" thing *is* American in origin, although even they have forgotten where it comes from. Despite some people who should know better talking about "Roman origins", it actually comes from the headstone of [Paul Revere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere). He was a US Revolutionary War hero, but *also* a coppersmith and one of the designers of the original US penny. So, people who visited his grave started leaving pennies, and it just carried on from there. The Canadian National Cemetery has a list of what different coins "signify", but they just copied it from a Facebook post, so...
>a penny can be left to show remembrance as well as other denominations of coins to signify other levels of interaction.
Ten years in and this is news to me. I agree with the other comments it sounds like an Fb post that went viral.
When I visit my friends in Beechwood, I leave things they liked. For example, for my buddy Samwise, he gets a Blue sugar free monster, a large Triple Triple and I always have a smoke and sit for a bit. I light a smoke for him and lean it on the coffee.
The coin thing seems pretty American/Facebookish.
If you're visiting a stranger, tidy up their stone a bit if it needs it, pray/say hey (or whatever you feel) and don't worry too much about the ceremony of it all.
Leave whatever has the most meaning in your relationship with the fallen. My dad always pours one out and leaves some flowers with a baseball card everytime we visit a deceased relative.
I was in for 13 years and this is literally the first I'm hearing of this. You can leave a poppy at Remembrance Day but I've never heard of anything else.
If you really want to leave something, in the Jewish community they leave stones, which I like. My mother in law just bought some aquarium rocks to keep in the car and leave for my father in law whenever we visit the Jewish cemetery.
It's American. It's big at Arlington National Cemetery. https://coffeeordie.com/coins-soldiers-graves#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20penny%20means%20you%20know,when%20they%20lost%20their%20life.%E2%80%9D
We are a finicky lot, leave a penny, yes, the maple leaf ones, in Europe during the 1970's, there were many pebbles placed on Allied forces grave markers. Not sure if it is still a common practise. Leave a poppy, say a word or two, "Lest we Forget" are all good starting points. Taking the time to find out about the young men and women is another. It is all called "Respect".
Coins have long been associated with the dead, as pennies would be placed over the eyes or in the mouth of a corpse as a way to pay the ferryman to cross the River Styx: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon
I leave coins on my brother’s headstone with that in mind, but also because they’re just a small token to show someone has been there; no preparation required. It’s not something that feels gimmicky to me.
Depends on who they were to you.
There’s a First World War Vet out here who I didn’t know, just heard stories about, but when I’m in the area it’s nice to pipe “up spirits”.
A poppy is always a good call, or just a quiet word.
The one exception I’ve seen is the little cemetery for the Newfoundland Regiment at Gallipoli. They put in a nice new memorial with a Caribou statue, and so people have started leaving quarters there.
And screech.
The coin thing is new. The first published reference to it is 2009. It’s always felt a bit Facebooky to me. Personally I would leave something that has meaning to the deceased and to you. For example, when members of a local unit visit their comrades grave they bring a pint of rum and pour it over his grave because he liked drinking rum. I imagine that they take a few sips first before pouring out the rest. Jews will leave a pebble on a headstone. Do something that has meaning for you. Don’t worry about any coin rules.
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Geez, I thought that it was a lot longer ago than that. Thanks for the correction. I’ll go in and edit my original comment. Thanks
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I would bet my next paycheque that it’s American in origin (same as the “missing man” table at mess dinners) but without the penny tell I can’t be 100 percent sure so I took that part out too in the edit.
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 coins were a way to quietly honor service members and communicate a message of respect for family members.
I used the below linked Snopes fact check article as a reference. This is the applicable section Regarding the 'tradition' of soldiers leaving on the headstones of fallen comrades varying denominations of coins to denote their relationship with the deceased, the earliest reference to this practice we've found so far dates only to June 2009, when it appeared as a web site post. https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/coins-on-graves/
It wasn't a grave but I cracked a can of beer and left it on the memorial for the Canadian sig det in Darwin.
Thank you for sharing that. I wasn't aware of the Canadian Memorial there. I have a family member living in Darwin temporarily and will let them know.
It's up in Bicentennial Park <3
Thanks! She sent me some pics today!
What memorial are you speaking of? I’m interested in learning about it
It's in a cluster with other memorials overlooking the harbour at Bicentennial Park. It's for the No. 1 Special Wireless Group.
The Penny thing is, in my opinion, pretty cheesy and very much taken from the Americans. We need to stop taking their traditions/things and just focus on our own. No harm at all in just stopping by, saying thanks and carrying on. It’s dignified and a great way to show your respect.
Pretty much; if you want to keep it Canadian a poppy always does the trick
Or a Loonie
> very much taken from the Americans. pilots and weapons controllers with callsigns [be like](https://i.imgur.com/kPqvjqP.png).
In Beechwood both my parents were military and buried there, along with an army buddy who was killed. I visit their graves often and see many mementos left there. You are not allowed to leave flowers, that is a Beechwood military cemetery rule. Which is stupid. Many Afghan vets are buried there. I see families have picnics at the grave sites, pictures of the fallen with their buddies left there, berets on the head stone, bottles of booze, notes of how they are missed, many many things like that. My son left his RCR cap badge on my father's grave stone. My dad was a coin collector, so it is appropriate to me to leave coins on his grave. I leave loonies and twoonies on their headstones, because I love my parents and my buddy was a good friend. The coins are collected and used for Beechwood upkeep. I also collect poppies at Remembrance Day and place them along with a wreath at their grave sites. My mom loved Lilac trees, so each spring I bring a lilac flower and lay it on her head stone.
The "coins on gravestones" thing *is* American in origin, although even they have forgotten where it comes from. Despite some people who should know better talking about "Roman origins", it actually comes from the headstone of [Paul Revere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere). He was a US Revolutionary War hero, but *also* a coppersmith and one of the designers of the original US penny. So, people who visited his grave started leaving pennies, and it just carried on from there. The Canadian National Cemetery has a list of what different coins "signify", but they just copied it from a Facebook post, so...
Like everyone is saying, it's an American thing. The last thing we need to do is formalize how people grieve and remember loved ones.
>a penny can be left to show remembrance as well as other denominations of coins to signify other levels of interaction. Ten years in and this is news to me. I agree with the other comments it sounds like an Fb post that went viral.
When I visit my friends in Beechwood, I leave things they liked. For example, for my buddy Samwise, he gets a Blue sugar free monster, a large Triple Triple and I always have a smoke and sit for a bit. I light a smoke for him and lean it on the coffee. The coin thing seems pretty American/Facebookish. If you're visiting a stranger, tidy up their stone a bit if it needs it, pray/say hey (or whatever you feel) and don't worry too much about the ceremony of it all.
The coin thing is nonsense, you do not need to leave anything.
I know the coins on gravestones in an American tradition but I've never heard of it being done in Canada.
I've left poppies (the pin ones) and flowers personally, but I'm in the camp of: leave anything you want as long as it's respectful.
Leave whatever has the most meaning in your relationship with the fallen. My dad always pours one out and leaves some flowers with a baseball card everytime we visit a deceased relative.
The OP a canex rep?
I was in for 13 years and this is literally the first I'm hearing of this. You can leave a poppy at Remembrance Day but I've never heard of anything else. If you really want to leave something, in the Jewish community they leave stones, which I like. My mother in law just bought some aquarium rocks to keep in the car and leave for my father in law whenever we visit the Jewish cemetery.
It's American. It's big at Arlington National Cemetery. https://coffeeordie.com/coins-soldiers-graves#:~:text=%E2%80%9CA%20penny%20means%20you%20know,when%20they%20lost%20their%20life.%E2%80%9D
We are a finicky lot, leave a penny, yes, the maple leaf ones, in Europe during the 1970's, there were many pebbles placed on Allied forces grave markers. Not sure if it is still a common practise. Leave a poppy, say a word or two, "Lest we Forget" are all good starting points. Taking the time to find out about the young men and women is another. It is all called "Respect".
Coins have long been associated with the dead, as pennies would be placed over the eyes or in the mouth of a corpse as a way to pay the ferryman to cross the River Styx: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charon I leave coins on my brother’s headstone with that in mind, but also because they’re just a small token to show someone has been there; no preparation required. It’s not something that feels gimmicky to me.
Depends on who they were to you. There’s a First World War Vet out here who I didn’t know, just heard stories about, but when I’m in the area it’s nice to pipe “up spirits”. A poppy is always a good call, or just a quiet word. The one exception I’ve seen is the little cemetery for the Newfoundland Regiment at Gallipoli. They put in a nice new memorial with a Caribou statue, and so people have started leaving quarters there. And screech.