How much was the widow's mite actually worth?

According to Mark 12v42, the widow gives “2 very small copper coins” (NIV),  2 lepta in the Greek.

The lepta was the smallest coinage in circulation – so we might compare it to an offering of 2p.

Mark says (v42) a lepton is a quadrans - the equivalent Roman coin, which the NIV says is “worth only a fraction of a penny”.

James R. Edwards (Pillar Commentary on Mark) says a lapton was 1/64^th of a denarius.

A denarius was the standard wage for a day’s labour (Mt 20:8-10).

Say a labourer is paid £7.25 and hour, making the daily wage £54.25

£7.25 X 7 = daily wage of £54.25

So we might guess that the widow’s offering would be worth roughly £1.70 today

£54.25 X (2/64) = £1.70

Though that might not be quite the point.

Jesus says her offering was worth more than all the others (v43).

“They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.” (v44)