Spain (612-21) tremissis
Elvora mint
The first specimen was lot 34362 in Heritage sale 3098 (New York, January 2022), where it sold for $2,640. The catalog description[1] noted,
"Spain: Visigoths. Sisebut gold Tremissis ND (612-621) MS63 NGC, Elvora mint. +SISEBVTVS REX, facing bust / TVSELVORΛIVS, facing bust. A very scarce Lusitanian mint from this reign, for which we been able to locate only 2 other examples having come to auction in recent decades, both of which came from different dies than the present specimen. Highly lustrous with sturdy lettering and margins filled with fine die polish, making this a true treat for the Visigothic collector. From the GK Collection."
Ispali mint
The second specimen was lot 43432 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $840. The catalog description[2] noted, "SPAIN. Visigoths. AV Tremisses, ND (612-621). Ispali Mint. Sisebut. PCGS MS-62."
Eliberri mint
The third specimen was lot 30008 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2025), where it sold for $8,400. The catalog description[3] noted, "SPAIN. Visigoths. Tremissis, ND (612-21). Eliberri Mint. Sisebut. NGC MS-64. Obverse: + SISEBVTVS RE, draped bust facing; Reverse: + PIVS ELIBERRI, draped bust facing. Quite bold and dazzling, this near-Gem hammered issue presents some alluring toning among the fields."
Emerita mint
The fourth specimen was lot 1045 in Steve Album Auction 52 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2025), where it sold for $1,080. The catalog description[4] noted, "VISIGOTHS IN SPAIN: Sisebut, 612-621, AV tremissis, Emérita (Mérida), legends SISEBUTVS REX // EMERITA PIVS, XF-AU."
Toledo mint
The fifth specimen was lot 73345 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, October 2025), where it sold for $1,200. The catalog description[1] noted, "SPAIN. Visigoths. Tremissis, ND (612-621). Toledo Mint. Sisebut. NGC MS-63. Obverse: Portrait, +SISEBVTVS REX; Reverse: Portrait, +TOLETO PIVS. A bright yellow-golden Choice example, well-centered and with the design and legends fully legible."
The Visigoths were a barbarian horde from the lower Danube who invaded the Roman empire in the fifth century as it collapsed. After various wanderings, they settled in southern France and established a kingdom. Driven out of Gaul by the Franks in the sixth century, the Visigoths set up shop in Spain, contending with the Suevi and the remnants of Byzantine rule. In 589, the kings renounced the Arian heresy and joined the Roman Catholic church. With church support, the kingdom survived until the coming of the Arabs in 711. Succession disputes led to constant civil war and there was little resistance to the Muslim invasion. Their coinage comprises gold tremisses almost exclusively, the tremissis being one-third of a Roman solidus. The contraction of trade and the shortage of gold meant that larger gold coins were not wanted or even feasible. Cayón records tremisses for this ruler from 37 mints.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 1.51 g, gold, the first specimen 1.39 g, the second specimen 1.46 g, the third specimen 1.43 g, the fifth specimen 1.48 g.
Catalog reference: the first specimen Cayón-215, Miles-191a, CNV-257 (R). The second specimen is Cayón-220. The third specimen is Miles-186B; CNV-217, Cayón-214. The fourth specimen is Pliego-284/285, Cayón-216. The fifth specimen is Cayón-263, Pliego-267a.
- Cayón, Adolfo, Clemente Cayón and Juan Cayón, Las Monedas Españolas, del Tremis al Euro: del 411 a Nuestros Dias, 2 volumes, Madrid: Cayón-Jano S.L., 2005.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, NYINC World Coins Signature Auction 3098, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The January 2023 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Taraszka Collection and the Mark and Dottie Salton Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
- [3]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, January 2025 NYINC Showcase Auction, featuring the Richard Margolis Collection, Part III, and the Richard August Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2024.
- [4]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Dustin Wagner, Auction 52, featuring the Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld Collection and the Almer H. Orr III Collection, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.
Link to:
- Spain (603-10) tremissis, Cesaraugusta mint, Witteric
- Spain (610-12) tremissis, Toledo mint, Gundemar
- Spain (621-31) tremissis, Emerita, Eliberri and Toledo mints, Svinthila
- Coins and currency dated 612