Where does the phrase "heads or tails" originate?

From the Roman game navia aut caput — "ship or head." The Roman bronze coin typically showed the two-faced god Janus on one side and a ship's prow on the other; later Roman coinage carried portraits of emperors. The English phrase evolved from "heads or ships" into the modern "heads or tails."

Why "tails" and not "ships"?

As coin designs diversified (eagles, lions, coats of arms), "tails" became a generic catch-all term for whatever appeared on the reverse side. The exact transition is unclear but likely happened between the 17th and 19th centuries in English.

Do other cultures have coin-flip traditions?

Yes. Greeks played "ostrakinda" with shells (one side white, one side black). The Chinese used "jiaobei" (moon blocks) for similar yes-or-no decisions. Japanese tradition has "omote ka ura" (front or back) games. Random-binary decision games exist worldwide.

How did the coin toss become a sports tradition?

Cricket adopted a pre-match toss formally in the 18th century. American football's pre-game coin toss became standard practice in the early 1890s. The Olympic Games used coin tosses to break ties through much of the 20th century. The coin's universality made it the natural choice.

Heads or Ships? The Origin of the Coin Flip

A group of friends is playing a pickup game of basketball. Which team gets first possession? This can easily be decided by the flip of a coin –‘Heads or Tails?’– leaving it up to chance.

Coin tossing is a simple yet universal way to make big or small decisions. Ranging from small events such as ‘who gets to do laundry today?’ to big events like ‘who gets the first pick in the NBA draft?’, the flip of a coin can be used to decide virtually anything. This leads to the question, who started it all? The trail leads back more than 2,000 years, to Ancient Rome.

Heads or Ships?

Historians believe that the practice started in Ancient Rome. Back then, it was known as ‘Heads or Ships’, or ‘navia aut caput’, because those were the images that appeared on the Roman Bronze coin. The ‘heads’ side of the coin depicted Janus (the two-faced god), and the other side depicted Saturn’s (the god of agriculture) ship.

Roman bronze coin depicting Janus, the two-faced god (Patton 2018, Princeton Index of Medieval Art — see References)

Ancient Romans regarded the gods as an absolute authority, meaning that only they had the power to control fate. The ‘heads’ side of the coin was favored over ships for this very reason. If a coin landed on heads, it was seen as an affirmation from the gods. As the Romans believed that a prosperous life came from pleasing their gods, coin tossing was a quick way to communicate with them.

Caesar Puts His Face on Fate

Statue of Julius Caesar at Roman Forum in Rome, Italy

Statue of the dictator Julius Caesar along Via dei Fori Imperiali at the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy

At some point in Ancient Roman times, the dictator Julius Caesar decided to replace the ‘heads' of the gods with his portrait. This is because he believed his own authority rivaled that of the gods. Roman rulers held sway over all civil affairs, and later anecdotal traditions describe coin flips deciding civic matters under the emperors who followed him — guilty/not-guilty rulings, marriage permits, even questions of war. These stories are folk history more than documented practice, but they show how deeply the coin toss was woven into Roman ideas of fate. By replacing the gods' image with his own, Caesar in effect equated himself with the divine arbiters of fate.

Nowadays, it may be hard to imagine that a coin toss could make or break a person's life. However, the Ancient Roman society was highly superstitious and therefore always looked for answers in a higher power, whether it be the gods or the emperor.

Roman Aureus Gold Coin of Julius Caesar with a probable portrait of the goddess Venus and a Trophy of Gallic Arms on the reverse struck between 48-47 BC cut out and isolated on a white background.

In addition to being a form of governance, coin tossing was a game of chance for children, and a common form of gambling for the ruling class. The Roman Bronze coin itself went through many reforms over time, with changes in materials and size. However, the practice continued to be called ‘Heads or Ships’ even after the ship was subsequently replaced with other symbols.

A Timeless Tradition — From Rome to Flip a Coin Day

Vintage compass and coins on old map

This is what we know so far about the origins of the coin toss. Some theories suggest that the practice might’ve even started in Ancient Greece. Perhaps more evidence will come to the surface, or we might never know for sure. Nevertheless, it is amazing that we as humans have continued to keep the tradition alive since ancient times. The practice is even celebrated in the United States, marking June 1st as ‘Flip a Coin Day’.

Whether we are superstitious or not, deciding on a coin toss is a way to remove some burden off ourselves and leave it up to chance. Even after Roman times, important decisions such as elections, the naming of cities, and the first airplane flight have been decided by a coin toss — many of these moments are collected in our companion article on the history of coin flipping.

Try the 2,000-Year-Old Tradition Yourself

The Romans needed a bronze coin and the favor of the gods. You just need one tap. Flip a coin now — Heads or Ships, the choice is yours.

References

"navia aut caput." Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, hosted by Perseus Digital Library. perseus.tufts.edu — primary classical-dictionary entry on the Roman coin-toss phrase.
Macrobius, Saturnalia, Book I.7. — earliest surviving narrative of the ship-prow / Saturn legend on Roman coins.
"Navia aut Caput." AncientGames.org. ancientgames.org — modern numismatic overview of the Roman coin-toss tradition.
Patton, P. (2018). "Looking Forward and Backward With Janus." Princeton Index of Medieval Art. ima.princeton.edu — context on Janus iconography on Roman bronze.
"Caesar Portrait Coins." Australian Centre for Ancient Numismatic Studies, Macquarie University. humanities.mq.edu.au — Caesar 44 BC denarius, the first living Roman on coinage.
"Flip a Coin Day." National Today. nationaltoday.com — June 1 observance in the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the phrase "heads or tails" originate?: From the Roman game navia aut caput — "ship or head." The Roman bronze coin typically showed the two-faced god Janus on one side and a ship's prow on the other; later Roman coinage carried portraits of emperors. The English phrase evolved from "heads or ships" into the modern "heads or tails."
Why "tails" and not "ships"?: As coin designs diversified (eagles, lions, coats of arms), "tails" became a generic catch-all term for whatever appeared on the reverse side. The exact transition is unclear but likely happened between the 17th and 19th centuries in English.
Do other cultures have coin-flip traditions?: Yes. Greeks played "ostrakinda" with shells (one side white, one side black). The Chinese used "jiaobei" (moon blocks) for similar yes-or-no decisions. Japanese tradition has "omote ka ura" (front or back) games. Random-binary decision games exist worldwide.
How did the coin toss become a sports tradition?: Cricket adopted a pre-match toss formally in the 18th century. American football's pre-game coin toss became standard practice in the early 1890s. The Olympic Games used coin tosses to break ties through much of the 20th century. The coin's universality made it the natural choice.

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