Catalog
Thrymsa Daisy type
| Issuer | Early Anglo-Saxon (Kingdoms of British Isles and Frisia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 650-675 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | A stylized ten-petalled flower (daisy) design fills the entire coin field. Each petal is clearly delineated by raised beaded borders running along its edges, converging toward a small central boss. The petals radiate symmetrically from the center in a bold, decorative arrangement characteristic of early Anglo-Saxon die work. The irregular flan edge and the overall convex relief reflect the hand-struck hammered technique typical of the period. |
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| Reverse description | A Latin cross occupies the central field, featuring a large prominent ring at the intersection of the arms and a small annulet at the tip of each arm; the lowest arm bears a double annulet. The entire cross motif is enclosed within a double beaded circle, deliberately left open at the base. A pseudo-legend or garbled inscription runs within the border, incorporating both Latin and retrograde characters, reflecting the transitional and imitative nature of Anglo-Saxon coinage of this period. |
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| Additional information |
The thrymsa — Anglo-Saxon England's first attempt at a native gold coinage — emerged in direct imitation of Merovingian tremisses circulating across the Channel, then rapidly developed its own regional types as Frisian and English moneyers diverged from their continental models. The Daisy type belongs to this later phase of stylistic independence, probably the 660s–670s, when pictorial coherence was already giving way to increasingly abstract die-cutting.
Findspot evidence places most Daisy-type thrymsas in East Anglian and Thames Estuary contexts, consistent with the North Sea trading networks centered on the emerging emporium at Ipswich.