Denarius

The denarius (plural denarii; Authorized Version penny) was the principal silver coin of the Roman Empire in the New Testament period, equivalent in value to approximately a day's wage for a laborer. Its name derived from its original worth of ten bronze asses, later increased to sixteen. The coin bore the image and inscription of the reigning emperor on its obverse face.

The denarius appears in several of Jesus's parables and encounters. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard, a denarius is the agreed daily wage (Matthew 20:2, 9, 13). In the parable of the unforgiving servant, a debt of 100 denarii (about three months' wages) is contrasted with the servant's own enormous unpaid debt (Matthew 18:28). When the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus with the tribute question, he asked for a denarius — observing that it bore Caesar's image and inscription — and gave the famous reply: Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's (Matthew 22:19–21). The ointment poured on Jesus was said to be worth 300 denarii (about a year's wages, Mark 14:5; John 12:5).