Visigothic Tremissis

The Visigothic Tremissis, a diminutive gold coin weighing about 1.5 grams, was often struck using recycled Roman dies, blurring the line between conqueror and conquered.

This made it a practical piece for trade in a fractured post-Roman world, circulating from Iberian hill forts to Mediterranean ports. Mints in cities like Toledo or Emerita produced them sporadically between the 5th and 8th centuries, though exact locations for many issues remain unclear. Designs typically featured a bust on one side and a cross on the other, echoing imperial styles with a Germanic twist.

We don't know the precise mintage figures; records from that era are scarce. As for myths, I've heard plenty about hidden Visigothic treasures, but most coins surfaced from archaeological digs, not adventure tales. Sometimes, a collector hands me one, mistaking it for a solidus, and I just sigh.