There are several theories on why people leave coins on headstones and one of the local traditions leads all the way back to Benjamin Franklin, writes Lauren McKeithen for the Belief Net.

According to the Schumacher and Benner Funeral Home & Crematory in Pottstown, people first started leaving coins on headstones to honor Benjamin Franklin, one of the nation’s founding fathers.

It was his famous phrase, “A penny saved is two pence clear,” which basically means “A penny saved is a penny earned,” that inspired people to start leaving and throwing pennies on his gravesite in Philadelphia. In fact, so many coins were thrown at his grave throughout the years that his memorial site had to be restored in 2017.

Schumacher and Benner wrote that some Americans have started applying this custom to their friends and family members’ graves. Due to the damage, many cemeteries were forced to ask people not to throw the coins but instead to place them on headstones.

Read more about the custom in the Belief Net.

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Learn more about Benjamin Franklin.