If you’ve ever walked through a cemetery and noticed a shiny penny, quarter, or dollar coin resting on a gravestone, you may have wondered:

Why do people leave money on graves?

This quiet act isn’t random. It’s a symbolic gesture — simple in form, but deep in meaning.

Far from being superstitious or merely decorative, leaving coins on gravestones is a long-standing tradition rooted in respect, remembrance, and connection — especially among veterans, families, and friends honoring the dead.