Tradition.

I was looking at a box of bits and pieces that had belonged to my mother today.
I came across these coins, each wrapped in paper, and each with a name written on it, and I remembered that they were given to us when my grandmother died. It was the money she had in her purse when she died, and each family member was given one of these coins, supposedly for luck.
My mother 's was the 1937 silver sixpence (very dirty). My father's was the 1942 threepenny piece, and my sister and I got pennies,1928, and 1921.
I have never since heard of this tradition, but I guess I'd better keep nine coins ready in my purse.