Thought I would post article about coins from Kalkriese Fight, but can’t get it figured out. I always wanted a coin found there, so far no luck… Has anyone been there to see where the 17, 18 and 19th legions were destroyed? “Varus give me back my legions”…Augustus said. How about Varus Coins? Hope this post is okay…. Rich the Mammoth tooth
I don't know the answer to your question but I just listened to a podcast episode on the Battle of the Teutoburg Forrest yesterday so you piqued my interest Here's a coin of Augustus (sorry, it's the only one I have with a portrait!)to keep it coin related. Augustus 27 BC - 14 AD AE28 Turiaso, Spain Obverse: IMP AVGVSTVS P P, Bust of Augustus, laureate head right Reverse: TVRIASO, Bust of Livia, right
Yesss last week this Varus coin arrived in my mail box, it is not from Kalkrise. It is the only one I won at Frank's last auction. Haven't had the time to weight it yet. This coin was struck under Publius Quinctilius Varus, Governor of Syria from 7 - 4 BC. Varus guarded the borders from Parthia and violently quelled unrest in Judaea and Samaria. Pseudo-autonomous issue Æ Trichalkon Seleucis and Pieria, Antiocheia ad Orontem; Time of Augustus, dated (ZK) year 27 of the Actian era = 5/4 BC, legate Publius Quintilius Sextus F. Varus RPC 4252, SNG Copenhagen 92; McAlee 87; Butcher 50c; SNG München 640; BMC Galatia p.159, 59; Cohen DCA 402(S) Ob.: Laureate head of Zeus to right; dotted border. Anepigraphic Rev.: ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΕΠΙ ΟΥΑΡΟΥ (of the Antiochians under [Publius Quinctilius] Varus Tyche of Antioch seated to right, wearing chiton, peplos and turreted crown, holding palm branch; at feet, half-length figure of river-god Orontes swimming right, in right field, date ZK. Dotted border. Frank's picture:
The coins found at Kalkriese have been recovered by professional archaeologists and licensed detectorists and I really hope that their finds are not for sale.
I've been to the museum and excavations, highly recommended. You will only be able to obtain coins under his control found outside of the battle site, but if you could this is what they look like.
In regards to having a coin from the general area of Kalkriese, would I would like to have one, yes. From the museum ,No. there is lots of land that was involved in that fight. Private land on which I am sure a coin or two have been found. In regards to museums, they certainly do sell pieces now and again. My Great Grandfathers Civil War sword went to a museum in Bozeman Montana…….Having checked several years ago, they have, or said they have, no record of it. A meteorite found by my Grandfather, weighing about 5 to 6 pounds was donated to the Union Pacific Museum in Omaha….It is no longer there… Ummm.
What or who is a licensed metal detectorist? I worked 3 years at Little Big Horn Battlefield and never saw one. I helped on Fort Atkinson foundation excavations and never met a licensed detectorist…..Do I have any relics from the Custer fight? Answer is yes, from private land surrounding the Battle Site. Will they ever go to a Museum, No.. Look at all the Gettysburg bullet and casings for sale. Where were they found? Land surrounding the fight…
The battlefield is located somewhat to the north and east of Osnabrück. I visited the site back in October 2017 and I walked the site of the battle. It was a gloomy and there was some patches of light rain. A perfect day to see the site. The German field positions were located on the top of a low rise. German positions seen from the front. They are located at the tree line German positions reconstructed. The battlefield as seen from a tower situated at the museum. At right center in this picture one can see some archeological activity. The German position would be on the opposite side of the field. One thing I did notice was there was a lot of earthworm activity in the open field. Luckily for me no ethical dilemma. Though I did ask myself. What if....... I think I would have turned over what ever I found. There were a number of coins on display one of which was this aureus of Augustus. As well as this Roman ceremonial face mask which is probably the most celebrated find at this site I agree despite being a bit out of the way, this is a place worth visiting
Very nice, thank you. I was around that area in 1983, however we went to Detmold and the Monument. That is not where they finally found the battle site. I really like your photos.
I can recommend a very good book on the subject "The Quest for the Lost Roman Legions, discovering the Varus Battlefield" by Tony Clunn.
I visited the site as well the last time I was in Germany, many years ago. Like @Terence Cheesman, the day I went was overcast and foggy. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures. I remember the wooden tower structure from which you could look over the site, and the cavalry-officer's mask. Within the museum they have a display case that must have been 15 feet long that was blanketed end to end with all the coins they found... impressive. With regards to "licensed metal detectorists", metal detecting in Germany is illegal unless a license is obtained from the state authority. Whatever you find must be handed over to archaeologists. I read somewhere that one of these detectorists found a WWII cache of gold coins but never even got a reward for handing it in. I like the UK's rules better, where the finder and land owner are at least compensated for the value of the finds.
A licensed metal detectorist is a metal detectorist who has the explicit permission to search a historical site such as the battle field of the Clades Variana. They record, report and submit all and every find they make. The Kalkriese battlefield has been searched many times over by licensed detectorists. In contrast, a metal detectorist who has no permission to search a historical site or any other area with the aim of finding historical artifacts, may just dig up relics to keep or sell on to collectors, with all the historical information destroyed in the process. In Germany, metal dectoring with the aim of unearthing historical artifacts is prohibited by law, except for licensed detectorists who work with local archaeologists. So metal dectoring is only allowed with the aim of recovering lost modern objects (except for the Land of Schleswig-Holstein, where it is completely prohibited).
I also prefer the UK legislation. Some years ago a metal detectorist in Germany found late Roman artifacts, including an officer's folding chair, silver dishes and East Germanic jewellry. The finds are likely linked to the crossing of the Rhine by Vandals and Suevians and Burgundians in AD 406. Unfortunately, the guy did not report the objects but dug them out unprofessionally with much of the information destroyed. If there had been a clear reward system he may have reported his find to the authorities.
It is a bit of a drive for me, but I have been to the site several times. Everytime, more or less heavy rain, dark and gloomy weather....not so nice for walking the site, but very much like it must have been like on that day 2000 years ago. You literally feel the ground beneath you pulsating with history. If I may, let me point you to this post of mine from 2009 on the battle: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ro...-of-the-teutoburger-forest.55830/#post-607936
Great post from 2009! I agree, the Varus battle has implications that are felt even today, over 2000 years later. I don't agree, however, that Waterloo or the landing of allied forces in Normandy had the same significance. Napoleon was defeated in 1812 in Russia and most thoroughly in 1813 at Leipzig. His comeback in 1815 was doomed from the start, even if he had somehow won at Waterloo he would have been stopped soon afterwards. Nazi Germany was not defeated in the west, but in the east. All the fighting in the west pales in comparison to the battles that were fought in the east. Even if Hollywood has manged to create a different perception, and without wanting to belittle the efforts of the allied forces, it was the Red Army that bore the brunt of the war. So instead of Waterloo and the Normandy landing, a better comparison to the Varus battle would have been the Völkerschlacht at Leipzig and the Battles of Stalingrad or Kursk.
PUBLIUS QUINCTILIUS VARUS AE OF ANTIOCHEIA, SYRIA RPC 4252, SNG Cop. 92, 20.4mm, 8.03 grams, Dated year 27 = 5/4 B.C.E. Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus to right Reverse: Tyche of Antioch seated to right, holding palm branch; below, river-god Orontes swimming right, in right field, date ZK (year 27 = 5/4 B.C.E.) This rare coin was struck during Varus' assignment as Governor of Syria from 7 - 4 B.C.E. Varus guarded the borders from Parthia and violently quelled unrest in Judaea and Samaria. Josephus records an incident wherein after the death of Herod., Varus occupied Jerusalem and crucified 2,000 Jews. Later Varus was transfered to the Northern front, where he met disaster fighting the Germanic tribes in the Teutoburg forest. Three legions under his command, legions XVII, XVIII and XIX were completely annihilated. This caused emperor Augustus great grief and he was said to have cried out on occasion "Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" or "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!"
There was another good post, by one of our European members, as I recall, with pictures of the site, posted not quite so long ago (it had to have been since 2016 since that's when I became active on the site). But I can't find it.
