Coins on Jefferson's Grave
Explore the tradition of leaving coins at Jefferson's grave and its meaning.
Visitors to Monticello are sometimes puzzled by the sight of coins on Thomas Jefferson's gravestone. The coins are thrown there by tourists and others who have visited the grave site. This phenomenon was first remarked upon by the Monticello Association — who own and care for the Monticello graveyard — in 1978.1
- Anna Berkes, 10/2007; updated 9/2009
Footnotes
- Annual Report of the Monticello Association, 1978, 12.