Widow's Mite (Lepton of Alexander Jannaeus)

Tiny bronze coin representing the two mites of the poor widow.

Date

c. 103–76 BCE (in use through 1st c. CE)

Culture

Hasmonean

Material

Bronze

Dimensions

~13-15 mm diameter

Found at

Judea (widespread)

Held by

Various collections

Discovered by

Numismatists (1800)

coinbronzehasmonean

Description

Small bronze prutot / lepta minted under the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus (103–76 BCE). These continued in wide circulation into the 1st century CE and are almost certainly the coin type Jesus commented on in the Temple.

Biblical significance

The "widow's mite" (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4) was the smallest denomination in circulation — two of these together were worth about 1/64 of a day's wage.

From the same era

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