The silver coin of daily life was the denarius, the ASV’s “shilling”, and it was a working man’s full day’s pay: the vineyard laborers agree on exactly “a shilling a day” (Matt 20:2). Small change was copper, the penny (two sparrows, Matt 10:29), the farthing, and the widow’s “two mites, which make a farthing” (Mark 12:42). The Roman poll-tax was paid in the denarius too: “Show me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a denarius”, the coin bearing Caesar’s image and superscription (Matt 22:19–21). Luke’s “pound” (the mina) was a larger unit of account, in the rabbinic reckoning a hundred denarii.
Daily life in Bible times
The coins of daily life
Money and coins
Sources, trace every one
Every cited verse, in full. Tap any reference to open it in the reader.
- Matthew 20:2bsb
He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
- Mark 12:42bsb
Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
- Matthew 22:19bsb
Show Me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought Him a denarius.
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