Battle of Teutoburg Forest

Last year eight gold coins were discovered during an archaeological excavation in Germany that could confirm the site of the legendary Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Such a find is extremely rare. The recent discovery at Kalkriese doubles the number of gold coins collected at the site. The coins featured images of the Emperor Augustus, with the imperial princes Gaius and Lucius Caesar on the back, and date between 2BCE and 5CE. The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest took place in 9 CE, when an alliance of Germanic tribes ambushed and destroyed three legions of the Roman commander Publius Quintilius Varus.

In September 9 AD Varus marched with three legions with him, the Seventeenth, the Eighteenth and the Nineteenth when news arrived from the Germanic prince Arminius of a growing revolt in the Rhine area to the West. Ignoring a warning from Segestes not to trust Arminius, Varus marched deep into the Teutoburg Forest. All three legions were wiped out to the last man. Varus committed suicide.

As a result of the battle Germania remained independent from Roman rule. Roughly 20,000 men were killed during the slaughter in Teutoburg Forest.

An aureus from the reign of Emperor Augustus would have been enough to feed an entire family in Rome for a month. Archaeologists speculate they once belonged to a high-ranking Roman officer.