Coin

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coins are round pieces of metal that are used as money.

Many coins have complex decorations; one side usually has the picture of a head on it. Most people use coins as currency.

The different decorations on each side of a coin might be used to decide things randomly. This is called "tossing a coin". You throw the coin into the air and catch it. You then look at which picture is facing up. If the head is facing up it is called "heads", if the other picture is facing up it is called "tails". Before tossing the coin you have to decide what each picture means. Tossing a coin can be a type of gambling, which is illegal (against the law) in some countries.

But it depends, of course, if something is gambled upon with a price someone risks or if it's just merely to decide something, so it's hard to take a real gamble with coins. Some people see coins as a sign as greed, such as some Communists and Puritans, who sometimes condemn over-hoarding of coins, and ascetics, who often keep little in the ways of money (coins), leading a "poor"-lifestyle.