If You See Coins On A Washington Gravestone, Don’t Remove and Here’s Why

Why Are Coins Left On The Top Of Gravestones?

If you've come across coins on a gravestone in a cemetery, here's why you'll want to leave them alone.

If You See Coins On A Gravestone, Please Don't Remove Them

At first, the coins might not seem like much but the coins serve a very important reason for being on the top of a gravestone.

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Your first reaction might be to remove the coins, especially for young kids that might be with you, they'll want to snap them up.

Here's the reason why you'll want to teach your kids to leave the coins alone.

The Reason Why Coins Are Left On Gravestones Is A Special Reason

As we get closer to Memorial Day, it's a good thing to know and share with your kids.

So if you see coins on a headstone, here's is what they mean:

A penny, you stopped and paid your respects.

A nickel, you attended boot camp with them.

A dime, you served in the armed services with them

A quarter, you were with the solider when they were killed.

As you visit gravesites over the Memorial Day holiday, you'll see coins and hopefully, you'll educate those with you on the significance of them being on top of a grave marker, headstone, or gravestone.

There are also coins left behind called "Challenge Coins" by members of the same unit.

What you might not know about the coins is that they are collected at national and state veterans' sites and used for the upkeep of grounds and/or in the burial costs of other soldiers.

You can learn more details about the tradition of the coins here.