1.2.1. Countermarks on
Lugdunum AEs of
Augustus
and Tiberius as Caesar Part 1
Countermarks covered in this
section are:
"ARAT", "AVC", "CA", "CCARN", "CVAL", "IMP
lituus",
"IMP",
"PP", "RC"
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").
"ARAT"
"AVC" and cuts on
Lugdunum As of Augustus
"CA":
Countermark thought to be from Caligula
(countermark Martini
Pangerl Collection 11)
"CCARN":
"CCARN" in circle on Lugdunum I As, meaning unknown, of 5
known
examples
3 were documented as found in Haltern, Germany (free Germania)
(countermark Martini
Pangerl Collection 13)
"C VAL": (countermark Martini
Pangerl Collection 45)
"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 confirmed for Varus either (see that section).
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": (countermark Martini Pangerl Collection 17)
" 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
(countermark Martini
Pangerl Collection 18)
"P-branch-P", on Lugdunum As, for Pater Patriae, scan to follow, (countermark Martini Pangerl Collection 21)
"RC", on Lugdunum As
(countermark Martini
Pangerl Collection 24), meaning unknown