Caltrops, wish list finds...

[Bavaria Mike]

Have not posted much lately but I am getting out detecting. Took a few days vacation, detected, cut firewood and caught up on the great outdoors. Detected mostly farm fields and just found my normal finds so on the last day I vowed to go where no man has gone before at the castle site. I detected the steepest undesirable slopes and areas, a good 45 degrees with thorn bushes, tough going but the finds were worth it. I dug anything with a beep. I went there hoping to find a Medieval caltrop and found three along with a few more bonus finds. Did some research on the caltrops, this type was used during the 1400s-1600s. If you don’t know, these caltrops are Medieval antipersonnel landmines, most soldiers didn’t have quality shoes if they had shoes at all. A soldier that stepped on one of these would have been demobilized. These are exciting finds for me as the following pictures are on my wish list, checked off, LOL! These caltrops measure 35mm/1 3/8” high, I was fortunate to get a beautiful intact caltrop but the other two are in poor condition.

Also found two bolt tips, awesome! Haven’t researched them, I think the bigger tip is from a long bow and the smaller tip is from a crossbow.

Found this coin weight on a farm field. Also read that our town was minting coins around the 1600s, may explain why I find so many coin weights, need to finish that research. Obverse, shows a person standing with a dress to his knees, left a long staff in his hand with a cross at the top, right extended arm holding an orb with a cross on top.

Reverse of the coin weight, shows an L. It might be late 1700s. HH, Mike

 

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[ModernMiner]

Excellent finds Mike.
I've only seen caltrops posted on here a few times. I remember Ty found some CW era ones a few years back.
Great post.
-Doug-

 

[leslie(nova scotia)]

yo BM

From the land of the Bluenose.....lord love aduck can you imagine one of those stuck in your foot? Imagine it's even worse if you tripped and fell butt first on one......if the Charm would be rough on that. Thanks me bouy fur da history lesson.....enjoyable!

 

[desertfox]

Great finds, Mike. It's always fun to fill in holes in one's collection! Have to give you an "At-A-Boy" for that terrain you hunted. Most of us would have just walked on by.

HH

 

[bclark]

Nice finds. I have always wanted to travel to Europe and see what kind of goodies I might find. There is no telling what a person might find. I never thought that the Caltrops were used for people and even horses. Honestly I always thought they were used for vechicles and now I feel educated knowing that they have a history behind them.

 

[faderdave]

Those are pretty unusual. Looks to me like they would be effective even today. Great job!