No, Catholic tradition does not involve putting coins in the eyes of the dead. This practice comes from ancient Greek and Roman customs to pay the ferryman to transport the deceased across the river Styx in the afterlife. It is not a part of Catholic funeral rites.
not only cowboys, dead greeks too. it was to pay for their admission to the underworld. sign of respect for hades and hermes.
The main reason they put coins on Abraham Lincolns eyes when he dies was to keep his eyelids closed. There is also a wives tale about the pennies allowing the dead to travel to the river Styx.
Because, and this is just an educated guess - the coins on the eyes business isn't Christian, it was to pay the ferryman to get across the Styx in Greek mythology; family members would place the money there so the dead person could get across to the Underworld in the 'afterlife' (other questions answer this). I don't think the Christian, or specifically Catholic religion would require such currency to pay for any passage, because I imagine one would go straight to Heaven or wherever else, regardless. I don't believe there is mention whatsoever of that in Catholicism.
In Greek mythology, Hades (their version of the underworld), had 5 rivers; one of them being the Styx. Dead souls had to cross it once they left the realm of the living and the only way was on the boat of Charon. The ancient Greeks would put coins on the eyes of their dead so they could pay the boatman to ensure safe passage across the river, and that they would not be left behind.
In Greek mythology, the coins were so the souls could pay the cost for Charon to ferry them across the River Styx. Different cultures have different reasons for doing this. It is a custom in some cultures to place coins on the eyelids of the dead to keep their eyes closed. The custom is thought to have begun for cosmetic reasons. When a person dies, in a short time their eyes sink far back into their head as they dehydrate, causing the face to present an appearance that many people find disturbing. Placing coins over the eye sockets covered the eyes and made the visage less unpleasant for the bereaved. Nowadays morticians slip plastic fillers behind the eyelids to eliminate this effect.
gold drachmas
To send him to Heaven faster and safer.......
traditionally they put two silver coins on the eyes (one on each) and it was for the boat man (or death or the grim reaper any of these names) and it was so that the king could take these coins into the after life and pay the boat man for a safe voyage to the next world
Actually, they would put a coin in or on a dead person's mouth, to allow them to pay the ferryman Charon to take them across the river Styx to Hades.
That depends upon what effect you want to achieve. An eyes forward, dead-center placement will cause the portrait to "look" at you no matter where you are, while eyes turned in a direction give a different feel.
no
Yes