Later in history, the British called the game “cross and pile.” At the time, many coins depicted a cross on one side. “Pile” comes from a Middle English term which means “reverse of a coin.” In Peru, the game is called “face or seal,” even to this day! In ancient China, the game was known as “ship or head.” This is because ancient Chinese coins were minted with a ship on one side and a head on the other. In fact, it is said that Sigmund Freud himself realized this phenomenon and used it to his advantage. When faced with someone who was struggling to make a decision, Freud would sometimes suggest that they flip a coin. Allegedly, Freud would then say “Look into your own reactions. Ask yourself: Am I pleased? Am I disappointed?” This method of flipping is sometimes called the Freudian Coin Toss. By analyzing your reaction, you may realize that you actually knew the choice that you wanted to make all along! Metal coins were first manufactured as early as the 7th century BC, however, the first accounts of the practice of coin flipping can be found in ancient Rome. During this period, Romans called the game “navia aut caput,” which translates to “ship or head.” This is because some Roman coins had a ship on one side and the head (or “bust”) of the emperor on the other side. Julius Caesar himself endorsed the coin flip in 49 BC when he began minting coins which depicted his name. During this time, flips were utilized to make some very serious decisions, including those related to criminality, property, and marriage. The outcomes of those flips were considered to be legally binding.

In the Middle Ages, coin tossing was a children's game known as " heads and pile". What we now know as "heads" was the tails, and what we now call "tails" was the pile. In his book titled Grooks, the Danish poet Piet Hein included a poem entitled “A Psychological Tip” which relates to the Freudian Coin Toss. The poem reads as follows: On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson suffered a plane crash which cost them their lives. If not for a coin toss, Valens life would have been spared. Prior to the flight, Valens and Holly’s guitar player (Tommy Allsup) flipped a coin to determine who would get to fly in the plane chartered by Holly. Valens won, and the rest is unfortunate history. In 1971, Don McLean would memorialize this day as “The Day the Music Died” in his hit song “American Pie”. Secretariat, the Triple Crown horse

Coin Flipper

People are often faced with difficult decisions between two choices. Flipping a coin can be very useful in these situations. Sometimes, however, you may find that you’re disappointed with the result. In this scenario, instead of letting the coin decide, you may want to go with the choice that you now realize you really wanted. Earlier, the terms ' heads or tails' were used, referring to the images that appeared on ancient Roman silver coins. This peculiar way of deciding between two options began as a game for children and the Roman elite and it is rumoured that Julius Caesar settled certain legal disputes by flipping a coin.