Widows Mite A small bronze coin, slightly larger than .5in diameter,a barbaric coinage minted in or near Jerusalem to make up for the shortage of the Prutah of Alexander coin. The "widow's mite" dates from about 75 B.C., and was used for doing business, buying sacrifices at the Temple, and so on. A Biblical reference is found in Mark 12:41 mentioning the poor widow's donation of two mites.