Evil ancients: images on ancients that gave them comfort and your mama nightmares!

BEWARE! Herein you'll see sinister shields that would give your mama a Satanic panic that would send her into a spiral of grounding you, cutting off your best friends and throwing out all those magazines she found in your dresser drawer... like The Celator!

(The epic ancient coin magazine that confused generations of ancient collectors into thinking all ancient die engravers are called celators... present company included)

Though, they aren't really sinister at all. Just images and symbols of things that the ancients had understandings of that are far different than ours today.
Much like how a modern might see Victory and say, "Aww, look at that angel!"
They too see things like snakes, spiders and satyrs and say,


With that context in mind, here are some ancient coins that the ancients had no qualms about that would make moderns quiver
First, two coins that I won yesterday thanks to a heads up from CT pal @Ed Snible
Clearly made by a Satanic cult with an image of their priestess on one side and images and symbols of pure evil on the other... or just a couple of very rare coins minted in the provinces from around the reins of Nero to Domitian (talk about REAL evil!):

MYSIA. Pitane. Pseudo-autonomous. Time of Domitian (81-96). Ae.
Obv: ΘΕΑΝ ΡΟΜΗΝ.
Head of Roma right, wearing mural crown.
Rev: ΠΙΤΑΝΑΙΩΝ.
Round shield with pentagram.
RPC 956B.
Condition: Near very fine.
Weight: 2.03 g.
Diameter: 17 mm.


18 mm, 1,70 g

Here's the more common, non shield, version: Horned Satan looking for souls to spend eternity with


Often misidentified as Perseus: actually ancient Greece's most prolific serial killer who used a harpa to behead his female victims!


Proof that with enough human sacrifices the dark lord would appear! And if you were evil enough you to could crown him


Severed goblins head so nasty that his boogers are coming out of the coin


And lastly, this one that supposedly screams to the unpure of heart. It just looks like a regular old coin to me. How about you?




I always love seeing spooky coins and its always more funny when an ancient wouldn't bat an eye at it and would love to see yours!

 

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...this mask of Medusa is about my spookiest coin..then its got what lQQks like an angel & horses reverse

 

AV Quarter Stater ND (struck 30-10BC) coin has neat oval flan.
Britannia/ Iceni
The obverse depicts one of their Gods/ reverse/ usual Horse
Maybe it was Queen Boadicea's War God?
One of my fav. coins I got thru Rudd Auctions

 

PENTAGRAM - AND! What is amazing is that if I turn the coin UPSIDE-DOWN, it is a Wiccan Pentagram... So, I just call it a STAR in my attributes.



RR Anon 211-206 BCE Victoriatus STAR Scarce Sear 49 Syd 233a Craw 105-1
or,
RR Anon 211-206 BCE Victoriatus Pentagram Scarce Sear 49 Syd 233a Craw 105-1

 

Who's scarier than Medusa, then or now?

 

Those "sinister shields" are great! And I really love your P. Lentulus Devil and the Genius of the Roman People.

Here's a type I've always found chilling...


AUGUSTUS
Fourrée Denarius (holed). 2.95g, 20.4mm. Copying Rome mint, circa 19-18 BC, P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer. Cf. RIC I 299 (for official issue). O: AVGVSTVS CAESAR, bare head of Augustus right. R: TVRPILIANVS III VIR, Tarpeia standing facing, hands raised, buried to the waist in a pile of shields.



What about a melting faced Hekate?


THESSALY, Pherai
AE Trichalkon. 8.81g, 21.2mm. THESSALY, Pherai, circa 404-369 BC. Rogers 511, fig. 277; BCD Thessaly II 687.2; HGC 4, 564. O: Head of Hekate-Enodia (or nymph Hypereia) facing slightly left. R: [ΦΕΡ]Α[Ι]-Ο[Ν], Lion's head fountain to right, with water pouring from mouth.
Ex BCD Collection, his tag noting "T/ne ex Thess., Feb. 88, 60000 drs."

 

Not even the latest edition of CoinBoy can save us now.

 

Here's coin that might give some nightmares. The reverse shows "The restoration of happy times" ... A Roman soldier doing in a barbarian with spear. It looks like times are not so happy for the barbarian.



Centenionalis* of Constantius II, Obverse: “DN CONSTANTIVS PF AVG” “Dominus Noster (“Our Lord showing the emperor to be the supreme leader”) Constantivs Pius Felix (Dutiful and wise) Augustus (emperor). Reverse: “FEL TEMP REPARATIO” Restoration of happy times “CONST” Constantinople Mint.

* The Centenionalis was bronze coin with a silver wash that was introduced during Constantine’s reign. (308 - 337). It went into obscurity during the reign of Arcadius (395 - 408)

 

Coin used to pay a vampire hunter in 1200

 

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder but not too much beauty here


This can also cause nightmares, I guess