SUEVIC KINGDOM

The history of the Suevic Kingdom (411–585) remains largely obscure, due both to the scarcity of written sources and the limited number of archaeological finds from the period. The same applies to their coinage. Currently, just over two hundred "Suevic" coins are known, the vast majority of unknown provenance and almost all struck in gold, with the exception of half a dozen siliquae—these being the only ones that mention a Suevic king, Rechiar (c. 448–456). This lack of evidence explains the absence of consensus among scholars regarding which coins can definitively be attributed to the Suevi, particularly among the pseudo-imperial series. For instance, the imitation solidi under the name of Honorius with the mintmark MD (Mediolanum), and similarly, tremisses in his name, are contested. However, tremisses issued in the name of Valentinian III, featuring a cross within a lemniscate crown on the reverse, are widely accepted as Suevic. There is also general agreement in attributing to the Suevi the series of tremisses bearing the inscription LATINA MVNITA, in which various place names from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula have been identified—such as Tude (Tuy), Legio (León), Senabria (Puebla de Sanabria), Bergidum (Cacabelos), etc. A few years ago, a pseudo-imperial solidus in the name of Honorius with the mintmark BR (Bracara, the kingdom’s capital) came to light and has since been added to the known Suevic issues. It is likely that future discoveries will shed further light on this coinage.