death penny

noun3

1. •
   [usually plural] (historical) A coin placed on the eyelid of a deceased person to keep the eye closed.

   • He told me how in the oldest graves "death pennies," once used to close the eyes of the corpse, are found. — 1926
2. •
   Synonym of Charon's obol (“a coin placed in or on the mouth of a deceased person as a bribe or payment for Charon, the ferryman of Hades”).
3. •
   (UK, informal) The memorial plaque, a circular bronze plaque presented to the next of kin of British Empire personnel killed in World War I.

   • I think for most people it's the starting point: it's the grandmother telling you a story about the great-uncle that you never knew, or the photograph on the wall, or the death penny. — 2018