Mite

The mite (Greek lepton, meaning thin or small) was the smallest coin in circulation in first-century Judea, equivalent to one-eighth of a Roman as or approximately one sixty-fourth of a denarius. Two mites made one quadrans (the Latin farthing), the smallest Roman copper coin. The mite's primary significance in Scripture comes from Jesus' commendation of the poor widow who cast two mites — her entire livelihood — into the temple treasury (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4). Jesus held her offering as exceeding all others, since the wealthy gave out of abundance while she gave out of poverty. The passage has made the "widow's mite" a proverbial expression for sacrificial giving. The coin also appears in Luke 12:59, where it marks the extreme end of a debt that must be paid in full.