Thrymsa 'Two emperors' type

Obverse description	Helmeted bust to right occupying the central field, rendered in a stylized early medieval manner with pellet detailing. A cross on a stand (crux on steps) is depicted before the face, while a chevron-barred letter A appears behind the head. The helmet is suggested by curved lines above the cranium, and a beaded border encircles the lower portion of the flan. The die-cutting reflects the degenerate classical tradition typical of mid-seventh-century Anglo-Saxon gold coinage.
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Mintage	ND (655-675)
Additional information	The "two emperors" thrymsa belongs to a group of Anglo-Saxon gold coins that drew directly from late Roman and Byzantine tremissis prototypes circulating in seventh-century England, copying imperial imagery that had lost its original political meaning but retained clear monetary authority. These coins were not royal issues — they were almost certainly struck by merchants or moneyers operating without centralized oversight, in a period before any Anglo-Saxon kingdom had established a systematic coinage. By the 670s this gold coinage was already giving way to the silver sceatta series, a transition driven by gold scarcity rather than policy.