We have all played a game of heads and tails at least once in our lives, but where did this custom of coin flipping originate?
Surprisingly enough, coin tossing started with the Emperor Julius Caesar.
In ancient Rome, the emperor was viewed as a god and his word was law. Incidentally, Julius Caesar’s head was also stamped onto the coins of that era.
Therefore, if someone wanted to have a yes or no answer to something, she would toss the coin into the air. If it landed heads up, the answer was yes. It was the will of the gods and the will of the emperor.
Since Julius Caesar could not be everywhere at once, the coin flip was also used to decide a person’s innocence in court. Heads up meant that he was innocent.
Marriages and other major life decisions, as well as war, were also decided by tossing up a coin.
Today, we toss a coin to decide on who wins a bet or who is stuck doing an unpleasant task.
Because money is rarely carried these days, there are coin flipping simulators that can make a decision for you and your friends right on the phone.
