The widow’s mite in our showcase of specialties, always attracting much attention, is precisely what the Scriptures speak of—a _lepton_, the smallest of Greek and Syriac coins. The name comes from _leptos_, very small. The word “mite” is English, and was formerly a weight representing the twentieth part of a grain, but has long fallen into disuse. It was employed in the translation of the New Testament to represent the word _lepton_, simply because it was so very small. It is pretty certain that there was no Jewish or Hebrew coin so small as the _lepton_; that people depended very much upon outside coins for their circulation. Even their money terms had changed to those of the Syrian-Greek Empire and of Rome, as we see from all the instances in the New Testament. What few copper or bronze pieces they had, struck by local princes for a limited time, and now very rare, were large enough to bear a show of devices and inscriptions, for which the _lepton_ was too minute. The one in our cabinet has a diameter of only three-tenths of an inch, and weighs but ten grains. On one side nothing is discernible, on the other a mint monogram, such as were common in that era, occupies the space. It is much like the letter x, with a line crossing it near the top. Whether it is Samaritan, or Syriac, or Greek, we cannot be sure; nor is it of any consequence. It is enough to show that it is a coin, and belongs to the age shortly before and after the advent of Christ, and its size proves it to be a _lepton_. It is an interesting and confirmatory fact, that this piece was found among the rubbish of the Temple grounds, by Dr. Barclay, long resident in Jerusalem, and author of “The City of the Great King.” By him it was presented to the mint cabinet. The objector may soberly doubt whether this was one of the identical mites offered by the widow; for the rest of his doubts they are of no value. We are often asked how much this famous offering amounted to? There is some obscurity and confusion about their coin-tables, and, therefore, some variety in the estimation. We may say, however, that the current value of the _lepton_, or mite, was about one-fifth of a cent in our money; being eighty to the drachma or denarius, which was 16 or 15 cents. But as the purchasing or paying power of a drachma was probably as great in that day and country as a dollar is in ours, we may say that the value of a lepton, judged by our ideas, was about one cent. As the treasurer would not take a less gift than two _lepta_, it follows that the poor but very liberal woman contributed fully two cents, which is more than some persons—neither poor nor in widowhood—throw into the church basket.