Widow's Mite Coin
There is an account in the Bible (Mark 12 and Luke 21) where Jesus sees a poor widow put two 'mites' into the offering. He uses the occasion to teach that it is not the amount you give, but why you give, that's important to God.
The widow's two mites are actually called leptons. These were the smallest denomination coin of the day in Judea and were struck during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus. Thousands and thousands were made, and you can still find them today. They are very crude coins, and most specimens only have a small amount of detail visible - just enough to identify them. Some amazing specimens have fully legible inscriptions and are well centered. There is a huge difference in value from the low to the high end:
worn: $6 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $30
well preserved: $350
One of our favorite places for ancient coins is VCoins.com. At this site you will find pictures and prices for genuine leptons.
Thomas' coin, however, is not a genuine lepton. It is a modern reproduction used for promotion. It carries no value.
Widow's Mite Coin Wikipedia
Created (yyyymm): 201109, Last review: 201705
Appearance: Normal round coin Metallic brown Letters: Block style
Years: sort: -103, filter: -103 to 76
Image: ancient_widows_mite.jpg
Original inquiry: i am sending the photo in the attachment. any feedback would be greatly appreciated. there are unusual letters that look like iny bax or fiyni. iny baz fiyni anchor dot bead pearl rays beams sun sunburst
Widow's Mite Coin Bible
- Product Description Widow's mite replica coins make a poignant reminder of Christ's teachings from Mark 12:41-44. Hand out in twos as a meaningful lesson, perfect for Sunday school lessons and children's sermons. Designed in the Holy Land.
- The most popular suggestion, which has now become tradition, is that the Widow’s Mite is a prutah of the Judaean king Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 BCE). It is not clear how this became the universal.
It is discouraging that the passage of the Widows Mite has been turned into a fundraising game for pastors. If one carefully reads the passage in context it is about the corrupt Temple worship system “devouring poor widow’s houses” and illustrated by the poor widow placing her last two cents into the collection box.
Widow's Mite Coin Sales
