Countermarks on Lugdunum AEs of Augustus and Tiberius as Caesar
 

Countermarks covered in this section are:
"ARAT", "AVC", "CA", "CCARN", "CVAL", "IMP lituus", "IMP", "RE", "SE", "TIB round", "TIB square", "TIBIM", "VAR" (and "Q VAR"), "VICIN", large "Wheel".

This group of countermarks are commonly attributed to Augustus - Tiberius.
They occur mostly on Lugdunum AEs, but some also on Nemausus AEs ("AVC", "IMP", "IMP lituus"), or on Moneyer AEs ("VAR", AVC").

• Countermarks such as "AVC" and "IMP" are relatively unspecific and were likely used since ca. 15 BC well into the Tiberian period. They occur from Gallia to the lower Rhine to the lower Danube region. Shapes and sizes vary however and allow sometimes a more specific attribution.
• "IMP Lituus" as well as the very rare "CCARN" were mostly found in the legionary fortress of Haltern (deep into Germania).
• "C VAL" was proposed to be for C Numonius Vala, cavalry commander of P Quinctilius Varus by Wolters (Germania 73 (1995), 145-150). There is however no hard evidence for this hypothesis, rather his name seemed to match with the "CVAL"countermark. "Caesar Valeat" could be the more likely meaning.
• "VAR" was proposed for many decades to stand for P Quinctilius Varus. A coin in the municipal museum of Rennes with "VAR" applied over the Tiberian "TIB AVC" makes this hypothesis very unlikely, if not impossible (R.Martini 2001, CAESAR AUGUSTUS in Glaux special series, ENNERE, Milano). "VAR" is by the way applied later than the "large wheel", "IMP", and "CVAL", but before or simultaneously to "AVC". "VAR" is relatively common with maybe up 500-1000 pieces known, and geographically spread over a very wide area:  from Gallia to the Rhine and even into the Danube area. Surprising as Varus was under the damnatio memoriae.

"AVC" and cuts on Lugdunum As of Augustus

 
 

"CA":
Countermark thought to be from Caligula
(scan to follow)

"CCARN":

"CCARN" in circle on Lugdunum I As, meaning unknown, of 5 known examples 3 were documented as found in Haltern, Germany (free Germania)

"C VAL":
 

"CVAL" has been proposed to stand for Varus' cavalry commander C Numonius Vala.

Velleius Paterculus (book II, paragraph CXIX) indicates that "Numonius Vala, legatus of Varus, who, in the rest of his life, had been an inoffensive and an honorable man, also set a fearful example in that he left the infantry unprotected by the cavalry and in flight tried to reach the Rhine with his squadrons of horse. But fortune avenged his act, for he did not survive those whom he had abandoned, but died in the act of deserting him" .

This attribution of "C VAL" to Numonius Vala is however not based on solid evidence. On coins with both "VAR" and "CVAL" countermarks "CVAL" has been applied before "VAR", and of course, "VAR" is not likely for Varus either.

Related countermarks to "CVAL" are known on Ibero-Roman AE, possible meaning "Caesar Valeat".

"C VAL" Countermark

Lugdunum I As with "C VAL" countermark
 

"IMP Lituus":

" IMP Lituus"  Countermark from Haltern/Westfalen
 Lugdunum I As with " IMP Lituus"  Countermark on reverse

Nemausus As with "IMP" and "IMP Lituus" on obverse

 

"IMP" on Lugdunum Sestertius of Tiberius

 

"RE", on Lugdunum As

"TIB" round type on Lugdunum As

"TIB" in square on Lugdunum II As, Germania Inferior (Noviomagus ?)

"TIB IM" on Lugdunum II As of Tiberius, possibly Germania superior or Gallia

"VAR":

"VAR (in ligature)" on Lugdunum type I  AEs


 

copyright Barry&Darling
Details of "VAR in ligature" countermark
another example on a Lugdunum As "VAR" in mirror writing

another "VAR" in mirror  another "VAR" on Lugdunum
 

Rare Variety of "VAR" countermark on Lugdunum I As (Asciburgum type)
Rare Variety of "VAR"

"VAR" on a moneyer As, a rare occurrance

"VAR" imitation on an unidentifiable coin from the balkans, likely a local imitation of this western European countermark, please note the slightly different ligature, shape and size of the countermark

"VAR" and "C VAL"

The search for the Varus countermark, or how to turn worn and corroded ancient coins into hard modern currency:
Below one of many coins offered as Varus countermarks to the innocent collector. This one is really a common IMP in ligature on a Nemausus coin (on the head of Augustus, stamped on where his ear had been). You can see part of the M melted into the P.

"QVAR" So called "Varus countermarks" are reported from Varus' time as governor in Syria (on provinical coins only)

 
 

"VICIN" on Lugdunum I As of Augustus, Gallia

 

"Large Wheel":

"large Wheel" with 9 lines and a dot on obverse, "VAR" on reverse               copyright Barry&Darling

"VAR" and "large Wheel" (with 9 lines, sometimes with dot, maybe a degeneration of the "CCARN" countermark ?)

 
 

P Quinctilius Varus  (interested in Roman Officials ?)
as Governor of Syria

 

as Governor of Africa (coin with his portrait)

The Varus Battle (the end of LEG XVII, XVIII, XVIIII)

The above countermarks may have been used by the roman military forces during the period of the Varus desaster.

This impressive stone is now in the Bonn Museum. The text reads:

"To Marcus Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting tribe, from Bologna, a centurion in the First Order of legio XVIII,
aged 53; He fell in the Varian War. His bones - if found - may be placed in this monument. Publius Caelius, son of Titus, of the Lemonian voting
 tribe, his brother, set this up."

If you want to see more of the Varus battle, here are two interesting links:
University of Osnabrück (in German)
Article by K. Berry & Ch. Ziehe (in English).