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Thrymsa 'Benutigo' type
| Issuer | Early Anglo-Saxon |
|---|---|
| Year | 620-655 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Thrymsa |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stepped cross occupies the central field, rendered in bold relief characteristic of early Anglo-Saxon hammered gold coinage. The cross, rising from a series of steps or pellets at its base, is a prominent and carefully executed device. A runic legend, likely reading BENUTIGO or a close variant, surrounds the cross in the field, representing one of the few securely identified runic inscriptions on early English coinage. The flan is irregular and slightly uneven, typical of the hand-struck thrymsa series of the early seventh century. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The thrymsa was Anglo-Saxon England's answer to the Frankish tremissis flooding across the Channel in the seventh century — a direct imitation that gradually diverged as local moneyers asserted their own conventions. The 'Benutigo' type takes its name from the garbled legend on the coin, a corruption so advanced that its original meaning is effectively lost. Whether it derived from a moneyer's name, a mint place, or a phrase borrowed from continental prototypes remains unresolved.
Gold fineness in thrymsas of this period declined steadily across the decades of issue, and later specimens frequently show progressive debasement toward pale gold. Locating this piece within that degradation sequence can be more informative than the broad date range suggests.