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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Judean & Biblical Coins| ▸ |Biblical Coins| ▸ |Widow's Mites||View Options:  |  |  |   

Widow's Mites of Mark 12-41

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow put more into the treasury than all the others. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." (Mark 12:43-44)

These coins are bronze lepta and prutot of Alexander Jannaeus, the Hasmonean King of Judaea from 103 to 76 B.C. Although these coins were minted long before Christ's lifetime, they were still in circulation during the first century A.D. Because the lepton and prutah were the lowest denomination coins that circulated in Jerusalem during Christ's lifetime, they are believed to be the coins referred to in the Biblical story of the poor widow. The lepton is the very smallest denomination and is probably the true "widow's mite." In fact, the lepton is probably the lowest denomination coin ever struck by any nation in all of history! Lepton and prutah were carelessly and crudely struck, usually off center and on small flans. Because they circulated for a long period, they are usually very worn. Legends are almost always unreadable. The actual size of a prutah is less than 1/2 inch in diameter. A lepton is usually about the same diameter as a pencil eraser. For more information see Widow's Mite on NumisWiki.

Judean Kingdom, Herod the Great, 37 - 4 B.C.

|Herod| |the| |Great|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Herod| |the| |Great,| |37| |-| |4| |B.C.||half| |prutah|
Herod's most famous and ambitious project was his magnificent expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 20 - 19 B.C. Although work on out-buildings continued another eighty years, the new Temple was finished in a year and a half. To comply with religious law, Herod employed 1,000 priests as masons and carpenters. The temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. Today, only the four retaining walls of the Temple Mount remain standing, including the Western Wall.
JD110300. Bronze half prutah, Hendin 6217 (S); HGC 10 667 (S-R1); Meshorer TJC p. 222, 56; Meshorer AJC II 15; Sofaer p. 259, 52, F, obverse off center, sprue remnants, small edge split, reverse edge beveled, weight 0.941 g, maximum diameter 12.2 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, c. 27 - 24 B.C.; obverse HPΩΔOY BACIΛEΩC, tripod table; reverse upright palm branch within a circle of dots; from an Israeli collection, this is the first specimen of this very scarce type handled by FORVM; very scarce; SOLD


Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C.

|Alexander| |Jannaeus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Alexander| |Jannaeus| |(Yehonatan),| |104| |-| |76| |B.C.||prutah|
Jannaeus' anchor coins were probably struck after the conquest of the coastal cities (with the exception of Ashkelon) in 95 B.C. The anchor probably publicized the annexation of these areas. -- Ancient Jewish Coinage by Yaakov Meshorer
SL97484. Bronze prutah, Hendin 6189, Meshorer TJC K, Meshorer AJC C, HGC 10 637, NGC VF, strike 3/5, surface 4/5 (5771211-003), weight 2.68 g, maximum diameter 17.0 mm, die axis 180o, Jerusalem mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse star of eight rays and central pellet surrounded by diadem, Paleo-Hebrew inscription "Yehonatan the king" between rays; reverse Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (of King Alexander), upside-down anchor; NGC| Lookup; SOLD


Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C.

|Alexander| |Jannaeus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Alexander| |Jannaeus| |(Yehonatan),| |104| |-| |76| |B.C.||prutah|
Jannaeus' anchor coins were probably struck after the conquest of the coastal cities (with the exception of Ashkelon) in 95 B.C. The anchor probably publicized the annexation of these areas. -- Ancient Jewish Coinage by Yaakov Meshorer
SL97485. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC K1, Hendin 6189, Sofaer 221, Meshorer AJC C, HGC 10 637, NGC XF, strike 3/5, surface 2/5, lt. smoothing (5771211-004), weight 3.52 g, maximum diameter 17.0 mm, die axis 180o, Jerusalem mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse star of eight rays and central pellet surrounded by diadem, Paleo-Hebrew inscription "Yehonatan the king" between rays; reverse Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (of King Alexander), upside-down anchor; NGC| Lookup; SOLD


Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C.

|Alexander| |Jannaeus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Alexander| |Jannaeus| |(Yehonatan),| |104| |-| |76| |B.C.||prutah|
The anchor was adopted from the Seleucids, who used it to symbolize their naval strength. Anchors are depicted upside down, as they would be seen hung on the side of a boat ready for use. Jannaeus' anchor coins were probably struck after the conquest of the coastal cities (with the exception of Ashkelon) in 95 B.C. The anchor on these coins probably publicized the annexation of these areas. See Symbols| on Judean| Coins| in NumisWiki.
JD05745. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC K1, Hendin 6189, Sofaer 221, Hendin 6189, Meshorer TJC K, Meshorer AJC C, HGC 10 637, EF, beautifully highlighted by natural sandy "desert" patina earthen fill, weight 3.120 g, maximum diameter 16.4 mm, die axis 225o, Jerusalem mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse star of eight rays and central pellet surrounded by diadem, Paleo-Hebrew inscription "Yehonatan the king" between rays; reverse Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (of King Alexander), upside-down anchor; SOLD


Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C.

|Alexander| |Jannaeus|, |Judean| |Kingdom,| |Alexander| |Jannaeus| |(Yehonatan),| |104| |-| |76| |B.C.||prutah|
The star symbolizes heaven. See Symbols| on Judean| Coins| in NumisWiki.
JD110317. Bronze prutah, Meshorer TJC K3, Sofaer 225, Hendin 6189, Hendin 6189, Meshorer TJC K, Meshorer AJC C, HGC 10 637, VF, dark patina, highlighting earthen deposits, obv. edge beveled, weight 3.118 g, maximum diameter 16.5 mm, die axis 0o, Jerusalem mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse star of eight rays and central pellet surrounded by diadem, Paleo-Hebrew inscription "Yehonatan the king" between rays; reverse Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (of King Alexander), upside-down anchor; SOLD




  




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REFERENCES

Hendin, D. Guide to Biblical Coins, 6th Edition. (Amphora, 2021).
Hoover, O. Handbook of Coins of the Southern Levant: Phoenicia, Southern Koile Syria (Including Judaea), and Arabia, Fifth to First Centuries BC. HGC 10. (Lancaster/London, 2010).
Meshorer, Y. Ancient Jewish Coinage. (New York, 1982).
Meshorer, Y. A Treasury of Jewish Coins from the Persian Period to Bar Kokhba. (Jerusalem, 2001).
Meshorer, Y., et al. Coins of the Holy Land: The Abraham and Marian Sofaer Collection at the American Numismatic Society and The Israel Museum. ACNAC 8. (New York, 2013)

SYMBOLS ON THE WIDOW'S MITE

Anchor: The anchor was adopted from the Seleucids, who used it to symbolize their naval strength. Anchors are often depicted upside down, as they would be seen hung on the side of a boat ready for use. Jannaeus' anchor coins were probably struck after the conquest of the coastal cities (with the exception of Ashkelon) in 95 B.C. The anchor probably publicized the annexation of these areas.

Star: The star symbolized heaven. 

Diadem:  The diadem symbolized royalty


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