Weekly Trivia: In Britain, coin tossing was called “cross and pile”. A name originating from the game's association with the two sides of a coin and the hammer marks from its striking on a coin-maker's anvil, where the "pile" referred to the indented side and "cross" to the raised cross symbol on the reverse. This game was once a popular court pastime, with King Edward II being known to play it.
"Cross": Refers to the cross symbol that appeared on the reverse side of coins.
"Pile": Refers to the indented side of the coin, which was struck by the hammer during the coining process.
Sources: Science ABC | Electric Scotland 
