Visigothic Tremissis of Leovigild

What sets Leovigild's tremissis apart is its use of a Latin legend on the obverse, one of the earliest signs that the Visigoths were adapting Roman coinage to their own rule in Hispania. This wasn't just mimicry; it marked a subtle declaration of independence from Byzantine prototypes.

The coin itself is a small gold piece, typically weighing around 1.5 grams, struck from electrum or debased gold sourced from recycled materials in the Iberian Peninsula. You'll find a crude bust on one side, often facing right, paired with a cross or globes on the reverse—details that varied by mint, though we don't know exactly which ones Leovigild used. Records from that era are sparse, lost to time and conquest.

One oddity: these tremisses circulated widely, sometimes turning up in hoards as far as Gaul, which makes you wonder if they were more currency than art. As for myths about their purity or rarity, let's just say I've seen enough fakes to stay skeptical.