History of the Coin Toss
Coin flipping has been around for a long time. The custom of deciding between two options by tossing a coin dates back to the Roman Empire.
At that time, the terms "heads and tails" were used in reference 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 rumored that Julius Caesar settled certain legal disputes by tossing a coin. In fact, the practice is said to have reflected the Roman belief in the power of chance and the gods to determine fate.
In the Middle Ages, coin tossing was a children's game known as "heads and tails." What we know today as "heads" were the tails, and what we call "tails" today were the piles. Medieval coins often had a cross on one side, which influenced the terminology of the time.
Today we use the expression "heads or tails," where heads usually refers to the head of a person and tails refers to the opposite side. This practice remains popular in everyday decisions and sporting events, demonstrating how a simple coin can influence our decisions.
