I just can’t reset that title (cue Tobey’s eye roll)!
Although it’s hard to see his name, there is no missing the pennies that cover his grave. In an ironic twist to his “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned” proverb, tossing a penny on Ben Franklin’s grave is a Philly good luck tradition (although not for the stone, which recently required repairs to fix the pits and cracks caused by the impact of thousands of pennies each year). Franklin was famous for the proverbs he wrote and printed in his “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” My favorite? “Guests, Like Fish, Begin to Smell After Three Days.” Although, I do think it would have been cooler if he’d used this epitaph instead. Say what you will about his arrogance, he did have a sense of humor!
Tip: You can take photographs for free from outside of the fence at the intersection of Arch Street & 5th or (from March-November) pay $3 to go inside Christ Church Burial Ground. In addition to Franklin and his wife, you can see the graves of 4 other signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Secrets of Philadelphia 