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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Tejas, post: 7807248, member: 84905&quot;]The good old Goths are vastly underrepresented in the discussions on this forum. Hence, I thought I discuss a couple of interesting Gothic coins minted under the great Gothic king Baduila-Totila.</p><p><br /></p><p>Never heard of Baduila-Totila? To us coin collectors its just Baduila or Baduela, to everybody else and especially to the historians out there its Totila. The historical sources (mostly Procopius) call him Totila, while on his coins he is called Baduila.</p><p><br /></p><p>Both forms are east Germanic nicknames (like Attila = little father from Gothic Atta= father). My personal theory is that his real name was Theudebad. The Totila nickname was based on the &quot;Theude-&quot; component and the Baduila nickname was based on &quot;Bad&quot;. Btw. Theude- (Theod-, Thiut-) means the people and -bad means to fight (cf. battle). Choosing the battle-component of his name for the coins, may have been a propaganda statement or a call to arms.</p><p><br /></p><p>Anyway, Baduila-Totila was a highly significant figure. After the failures of Theodehat, Witigis (not to speak of Eraric and Hildebad), Baduila-Totila managed, for the last time to turn the table on the Romans, inflicted a series of defeats on theem and recapturing Rome twice. Unfortunately, his forces were increasingly depleted during his 10-year reign. At his last battle at Busta Gallorum in 552, he put on a great martial display for the Romans and had his Gothic riders charge &quot;using only the lance&quot; hoping they could ride down Narses&#039; archers for a last time. Alas it was not to be. The Gothic charge got stuck in a hailstorm of arrows and Baduila-Totila lost the battle and his life. His successor Theia or Tejas (wink) managed to gather the last Gothic forces for a final battle at the Mons Lactarius, which put an end to his life and the Gothic kingdom.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are three 10-Nummi pieces of the great warrior king minted during the second capture of Rome in 549/550. Note, all coins of Baduila-Totila are very rare. Or as the old saying among us Gothic coin collectors goes &quot;What a Roman coin collector calls a rare coin, is usually a common coin to a Gothic coin collector&quot; <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>DN BADV - (ILA REX)&nbsp; // DNB ADV ELA REX</p><p>This coin has the so called &quot;fine style&quot;. It is in my view BOT</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1340898[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is another one, showing the so called &quot;coarse style&quot;</p><p>DNBADV&nbsp; ELAREX&nbsp; // DNB ADV ELA REX</p><p>Again, the coin is of exceptional condition for these issues and probably BOT</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1340899[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, the final issue of Baduila Dekas:</p><p><br /></p><p>DNBA DVILAREX&nbsp; //&nbsp; FLVRIA (S SEMPER)</p><p>(FLOREAS SEMPER)</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1340902[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>If there are any Baduila-Totila fans out there I sure like to see your coins.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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