The Operation of the Mints

For information on the techniques of coin production and the personnel involved at all levels in late Roman and early Byzantine minting, one can draw on written, epigraphical, and pictorial sources. By contrast, only a small amount of written material is left to inform us of those responsible for minting in the Visigothic kingdom, and nothing remains about their methods of work. For the latter, one is forced to rely on the coins manufactured at Visigothic mints, as well as on other contemporary currency that they resemble.

Material Aspects

As the successor states of the Roman West developed their own coinages in the fifth and sixth centuries, the currency kept most of the physical features of imperial coinage on which it was based. Some of the barbarian kingdoms minted coins in three metals, as Byzantium continued to do. As we have already seen, in Gothic Spain from the late sixth century onward the tremissis was the main coin and was the only gold denomination. In weight standard (1.516 grams), it conformed to the original model of the Byzantine tremissis, though the diameter of imperial issues had undergone changes by the time of Leovigild and the size of Visigothic tremisses had become much larger (usually 18-20 mm). The similar appearance of Visigothic and Byzantine tremisses, aside from their use of the same types for many years, is due to similar techniques of production.