Coins for the dead

Depiction of Charon crossing the river Styx with the deceased after they paid the cost of the crossing. Die Gartenlaube (1886)

Coins for the dead is a form of respect for the dead or bereavement. The practice began in classical antiquity when people believed the dead needed coins to pay a ferryman to cross the river Styx. In modern times the practice has been observed in the United States and Canada: visitors leave coins on the gravestones of former military personnel.[1]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shors was invoked but never defined (see the help page).