If you're into evil you're a friend of mine

A wicked wise man once said, "Evil things come in small diameters."

Yeah, something like that...And he was right!
There's just so many juicy, wicked [edited] lil coins out there
Evil=Things momma warned you about

You might say, I'm pregaming for Halloween. But All Hallows Eve can be a little silly and kiddy at times. I'm talking 'bout those coins that you don't show in mixed coin company type coins
For my latest acquisition, I picked up a surely Satanic coin.
Though, the seller clearly missed the mark on how a pentagram is supposed to go aaand that portraits clearly beelzebub


As you can see, in hand the beast has much more depth:

MYSIA, Pitane
4th-3rd centuries BC. Æ 8mm (0.70 g). Head of Zeus Ammon right / [Π]-I-Σ-O-Σ, pentagram with pellet in center. SNG France 2253-5 var. (rev. legend); SNG Copenhagen 535 var. (same); BMC 4, note. VF, deep dark patina. Rare with this reverse legend.
Ex Zeus
The vast majority of Pitane’s coinage of the “Zeus Ammon / pentagram” type features an ethnic on the reverse. This rare specimen probably carries the name of a magistrate.

Silenos is freaky-deaky anyway. But due to a flat spot on the obverse his ivy looks like horns:


Sicily, Katane
AR Litra. Circa 415/3-404 BC. Head of Silenos to left, wearing ivy wreath / ΚΑΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ Winged thunderbolt between two shields. Boehringer, Kataneische LI 6-7. Rizzo pl. XIV, 18 var. SNG ANS 1266. 0.71g, 10mm, 6h

A double terror for ancient collectors, nearly succumbed to BD and oh, yeah, just a DECAPITATION SPURTING BLOOD AND GORE!!!

Pontos. Amisos c 85-65 BC.
Bronze Æ, 30mm., 18,18g.
Helmeted head of Athena right, helmet decorated with griffin / AMIΣOY Perseus standing holding harpa and head of Medusa, at feet, body of Medusa, monograms to both sides.VF Sea 1166-76 (same).

And lastly, a perfectly befitting evil emperor whom conjures the images of Thulsa Doom's snakes with his coinage:



Caracalla
Thrace. Pautalia. AD 198-217. Bronze Æ 27mm., 12.39g. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / [ΟVΛΠΙΑC Π]ΑVΤΑΛΙΑC, coiled serpent, head right. nearly very fine Ruzicka 687 var.; SNG Copenhagen 710 var.; Varbanov 5204. Ex Savoca




So please share your most twistedest, uglinarliest and most EVIL stories, coins or whatever darkens...

 

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Looks like a good thread for severed heads to me!


Sergius Silus (116-115 BCE), AR denarius

 

Look at that wily, unkempt hair and massive schnozola on that severed barbarian head! Beautiful detail
Here's my much less detailed... but just as wickedversion:

 

@Ryro it sure seems to me that the modern imagery of Satan was borrowed heavily from the Greeks, particularly Satyrs. (Possible etymology connection?)

Perhaps this was intentional - associating core imagery of other, non-Christian belief systems with the root of all evil, the antithesis of God.


Pan and the Satyrs with the goat’s body and horns
The untamed Satyr’s lack of impulse control
The trident of Poseidon
The hooves and horns of the man headed bull
The pentagrams..

I’m no scholar, nor am I religious - but there has to be a relationship there..

Here’s a coin to keep it legal




MACEDON UNDER ROMAN PROTECTORATE.
Ae (Circa 142-141 BC or 167-165 BC). Thessalonika.
Obv: Facing head of Silenos, wearing ivy wreath.
Rev: MAKE / ΔONΩN.
Legend in two lines; D above; all within ivy wreath.
SNG Copenhagen 1324-6; BMC 55; HGC 3.1, 1117.
Weight: 11.25 g.
Diameter: 24 mm.

 

That's a great spooky Pitane... the patina on it is perfect! I reckon mine is a bit less evil, but still definitely sinister-looking.


MYSIA, Pitane
AE11. 1.38g, 10.6mm. MYSIA, Pitane, circa 350 BC. SNG France 2350 var. (pellet in center); SNG Cop. 533 var. (same). O: Horned head of Zeus Ammon right. R: Pentagram, Π-I-T-A surrounding.

And, of course, evil coins need evil riffage!!



Whoops ... maybe let's try that again. How about this Zeus Ammon from Thymbra? Always more evil when they're left facing, right? And a slightly more appropriate tune to go with it.


TROAS, Thymbra
AE17. 5.0g, 16.9mm. TROAS, Thymbra, circa 4th century BC. SNG von Aulock 158; BMC Troas pg. 89, 4. O: Head of Zeus-Ammon left. R: ΘΥ, star of eight rays; HP monogram below.



And what could be more ghoulish than... THE THREE GRACES!


CRISPINA
AE19. 3.0g, 18.9mm. THRACE, Augusta Traiana, circa AD 178-182. Schönert-Geiss 113; Varbanov 945 (R6); RPC Online temp 10349. O: ΚΡΙСΠƐΙΝΑ СƐΒΑСΤΗ, draped bust right. R: ΑVΓΟVСΤΗС ΤΡΑΙΑΝΗС, the Three Charites, outer ones holding water jugs; behind, trees.
Ex George Spradling Collection

Ok, I think I've reached my evil quota for the day. Here's some gentle folk music to close things out...

 

Pentagram and Zeus Ammon? It appears that Wacken Open Air was held at Pitane in the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE!


Mysia, Pitane, AE11, 4th–3rd c. BC. Obv: Horned head of Zeus Ammon r. Rev: Pentagram, pellet in center, [Π]–I. 11mm, 1.26g. Ref: BMC 2–3; SNG Copenhagen 530–535.

And yes, I agree with those who posted above – this is another particularly gruesome type:


Roman Republic, moneyer: M. Sergius Silus, AR denarius, 116–115 BC, Rome mint. Obv: EX·S·C ROMA; helmeted head of Roma, r., denominational mark X. Rev: Q M·SERGI SILVS; one-armed horseman (Marcus Sergius Silus) l., holding sword and severed head in l. hand. 17mm, 2.84g. RRC RRC 286/1.

 

I like the type... reminds me of a favorite band .




Maybe that's also why I have a thing for Zeus Ammon .


MYSIA, Pitane
AE, 4th-3rd c. BCE
9 mm, 0.64 gm
Obv: Head of Zeus Ammon right
Rev: ΠΙΤΑ; Pentagram, branch in center
Ref: BMC 5-10 var. (pellet in center)

Here's a fun Z-A, a Robert Ready electrotype of a coin I can never own.


KYRENAIKA, Kyrene
modern copy by electrotypist Robert Ready
host coin, c. 410-400 BCE, acquired by the British Museum in 1872
AR "tetradrachm", 27 mm, 16.64 gm
Obv: Bearded head of Zeus-Ammon, wearing tainia with uraeus-like ornament at forehead, facing slightly left within laurel wreath
Rev: silphium plant; K V P A N A (split between fields, retrograde K)
Edge: initials R R
Ref: BMC 77 (host coin); B.V. Head. A guide to the principal coins of the Greeks, from circ. 700 B.C. to A.D. 270. London. 1965 pl. 20, 61 (host coin); host coin BM accession number 1872,0709.361; B.V. Head. A Guide to the Select Greek and Roman Coins Exhibited in Electrotype, London. 1880. Period III C #44.
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sometimes-a-copy-will-have-to-suffice.272376/

 

I seem to be having problems with the color...




And here's a Who is the most evil collage I made a few months ago.

 

Amazing coins @TIF as usual. As for Rush, Neil Peart used to live in the town I live in now. The song "Lakeside Park" from "Caress of Steel" is about a park that is a 5 minute drive from my house. As for 2112, it is an amazing album. It is probably their most complex album. Not for everyone but I love it.

 

Great thread. I don't have any specifically evil coins, but here's one of Pluto's (god of the Underworld) brother Neptune.

 

Ok, I think I've reached my evil quota for the day. Here's some gentle folk music to close things out...

[/QUOTE]

OMG, Hey There Delilah ? Who knew ...

 

Rush rules.

 

..Pat Boone...the original artist of Dio's song?!?...ahahahaaaaa..now that is evil! ><

 

Dunno if this is EVIL, but a Satyr to toss in:


Thasos
AR TriHemiObol
Satyr running
Kulix Amphora
411-350BCE
0.69g 12mm
SNGCop 1030
Ex: @Bing

 

PENTAGRAM

I went to look this up again on various databases. I questioned its "rarity". There are not too many listed, but I was shocked at how HIGH they had hammered. I feel I really "lucked" out when I found this one and snatched it up several years ago. LOL. No WONDER @red_spork keeps telling me NOT to call it a Star, it is a PENTAGRAM.


RR Anon 211-206 BCE Victoriatus Pentagram Sear 49 Syd 233a Craw 105-1 (Listed as Very Rare to Extremely Rare...)

 

Wonderful point! From the horns, tail, hooved legs to the love of young nubile fair maidens!


Satyr. Satan. Satyr. Satan. I mean, really early Christians, thats just lazy writing. Don't even get me started on taking back Saturnalia!
Anyway, good reminder and GREAT coin!!!




(Or Satyrs)

 

Mine is Septimius.

 

No, there's no etymology connection whatsoever. Satan comes from the Hebrew word (שָּׂטָן) for adversary. Its use in the Hebrew Bible is as an agent of God, a sort of heavenly prosecutor and/or tempter of humanity towards evil, and has nothing to do with its meaning in Christianity.

 

Below is my most evil coin. Well, when it comes to showing off some proper violence, that is. And Trajan was one of the 'good emperors'!



Two coins are on offer by Roma Numismatics. They were struck under the reign of Caracalla, and commemorate the massacre of Alexandria, in 215 AD (RIC 544). Now that is some real next level evil stuff!

 

@Ryro a different "take" on one of your songs...I love Randy Newman BTW, he wrote the song