When did coin flipping originate?

The Romans played "navia aut caput" — "ship or head" — referring to images on Roman coins, attested as early as the Roman Republic era (around 200 BCE). The Greeks had similar games using shells. Coin flipping has been used to settle disputes for over 2,000 years.

Why does the NFL use a coin toss?

The coin toss decides which team chooses to receive, kick, or pick an end at the start of the game. The pre-game coin toss has been a fixture of American football since the 1890s and remains the universally accepted fair starting method in major sports, including the Super Bowl.

Has a coin toss ever decided a major historical event?

Yes. Portland, Oregon was named after a coin toss between two settlers in 1845 — the alternative was "Boston." The Wright Brothers reportedly used a coin flip to decide who would attempt the first powered flight (Wilbur won and crashed; Orville flew successfully three days later).

Are coin tosses still used in elections?

Yes. Many U.S. states use coin tosses or other random methods to break tied election results, including local races where the margin is exactly zero votes. It's considered a fair, transparent tiebreaker.

The History of Coin Flipping: From Ancient Rome to NFL Overtime

Long before random number generators or dice apps, humans had a simple, universal way to settle disputes: flip a coin. The history of coin flipping spans ancient Rome, medieval Europe, the naming of an American city, the first airplane flight, and modern championship games.

Ancient Rome: "Navia aut Caput"

In ancient Rome, citizens played a game called navia aut caput ("ship or head"), referring to the design on Roman coins — a ship's prow on one side and a deity's head (typically Janus) on the other. The losing side accepted the result as the will of the gods. This use of coin flipping for decisions was attested as early as the Roman Republic era (around 200 BCE).

Medieval Europe: "Cross and Pile"

European coins typically featured a cross on one side, leading to the phrase "cross and pile" being used through the Middle Ages, where "pile" referred to the reverse of the coin (named for the lower die used to strike it). Sailors used coin flips to decide who got the last ration; nobles used them to settle gambling debts.

1845: The Coin Flip That Named Portland

One of history's most consequential coin flips happened in 1845. Two settlers founding a new townsite in Oregon — Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine — each wanted to name it after their hometown. Pettygrove won two tosses out of three, and the city became Portland instead of Boston. The copper coin they used, now known as the Portland Penny, is still on display in Oregon today.

1903: The Wright Brothers' Coin Flip

On December 14, 1903, the Wright Brothers flipped a coin to decide who would attempt the first powered flight. Wilbur won and made the attempt that day, but stalled on takeoff and damaged the Flyer. After three days of repairs, Orville made the historic first successful flight on December 17, 1903. A single coin flip thus determined which brother is forever credited with the world's first powered airplane flight.

Modern Sports: NFL Overtime and Cricket

In American football, the coin toss before kickoff has been a tradition since the 1890s. The NFL's overtime coin toss has decided championship games — most famously in Super Bowl LI, when the New England Patriots won the overtime toss, received the ball, and drove for the game-winning touchdown to defeat the Atlanta Falcons 34–28. In cricket, the captain who wins the toss chooses to bat or field — a strategic decision worth millions of dollars in international matches.

Coin Flips in Court and Elections

Multiple US states allow random draws to break tied elections. A tied 2017 Virginia House of Delegates race was settled in early 2018 by drawing a name from a film canister — the legal cousin of a coin toss. Lot-drawing methods, coin flips among them, have also been used for jury selection and small property disputes.

Why Coin Flipping Endures

The appeal is universal: it's fast, it's fair, and it's beyond personal bias. With Flip a Coin.com, this 2,000-year-old tradition continues — now with realistic 3D animation and global statistics tracking. Some traditions never get old.

Flip a coin now and join the long history of decisions made by chance.

References

"Super Bowl LI." Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org — New England won the overtime coin toss and drove for the game-winning touchdown.
"Navia aut caput." Perseus Digital Library. perseus.tufts.edu — Roman coin-toss tradition (deity head vs. ship prow).
"The First Flight." National Park Service, Wright Brothers National Memorial. nps.gov/wrbr — December 14 attempt by Wilbur, December 17 success by Orville.
"Portland Penny." The Oregon Encyclopedia. oregonencyclopedia.org — 1845 coin flip that named the city of Portland.
"History of the Coin Toss." Pro Football Hall of Fame. profootballhof.com — the early history of the pre-game coin toss in American football.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did coin flipping originate?: The Romans played "navia aut caput" — "ship or head" — referring to images on Roman coins, attested as early as the Roman Republic era (around 200 BCE). The Greeks had similar games using shells. Coin flipping has been used to settle disputes for over 2,000 years.
Why does the NFL use a coin toss?: The coin toss decides which team chooses to receive, kick, or pick an end at the start of the game. The pre-game coin toss has been a fixture of American football since the 1890s and remains the universally accepted fair starting method in major sports, including the Super Bowl.
Has a coin toss ever decided a major historical event?: Yes. Portland, Oregon was named after a coin toss between two settlers in 1845 — the alternative was "Boston." The Wright Brothers reportedly used a coin flip to decide who would attempt the first powered flight (Wilbur won and crashed; Orville flew successfully three days later).
Are coin tosses still used in elections?: Yes. Many U.S. states use coin tosses or other random methods to break tied election results, including local races where the margin is exactly zero votes. It's considered a fair, transparent tiebreaker.

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