Evil Emperors and their coins.

Andronicus I Comnenus was evil! His rule 1183 to 1185 Ad as the Eastern Roman Emperor.

To start he orchestrated the death of his predecessor the young 13 year old Alexius II ( son of Manuel Ruled 1180 to 1183 AD ). He became sole ruler and then after the death of Alexius II took his young bride Agnes, Andronicus was 65 she was 12. Also, during Alexius II life he convinced the young emperor to kill his mother, then Andronicus took care of the rest of the family.

When he took over the city he killed 1000s of the Latin population (No wonder the Eastern Roman empire was renamed by the Latins to Byzantine.)

His end was very fitting, the population up rose supporting Isaac II and killed Andronicus slowly dismembering him part by part until he died. His coins were cool though, he is always depicted with a split beard.

ANDRONICUS AE TETARTERON S-1987 DOC 6 CLBC 5.4.2

And


Andronicus AE Trachy S-1985

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Must have been pretty horrifying to find out the evil emperor that was exiled and you thought would never come back actually did come back, for round two of blood and tyranny.

Justinian II, Byzantine Empire
AE follis
Obv: No legend, crowned bust facing wearing chlamys, holding akakia in left hand and cross on globe in right hand
Rev: Large M, TNA-like monogram above (Sear type 38)
Mint: Syracuse
Date: 685-695 AD
Ref: SB 1296



Here's my write up on him.

 

Elagalabus 218-222AD

 

Phocas 602-10AD

 

Cool coin and interesting and fun write up!
IMHO this man was the MOST EVIL of all Roman emperors (and folks, when it comes to ancient history, this ain't my first rodeo).
He strangled his uncle to death. Ordered the execution of his son, probably out of jealousy ,unless you believe the gossips, the darling of the people and one of the greatest aspiring generals in the late stages of the united empire. And had his (either pregnant or recently delivered) wife boiled alive!
It's Constantine the grea-sadist!

 

I just did not think of him , you caught me off guard with this choice but I have heard those stories as well so he is an excellent fit.

 

Not many come close to Caracalla in terms of sheer malice and bloodlust, IMO.

- Framed his stepfather for aspiring to the throne so he could divorce and murder his wife
- Participated in the slaughter of civilian Caledonians as part of a shock campaign
- Murdered his brother in cold blood in front of their mother
- Killed tens of thousands of suspected Geta sympathizers to suppress his memory
- Killed thousands of innocent civilians in Alexandria because someone called him a coward for killing Geta

Truth be told, there are only a handful of Roman emperors I would want to be buddies with.

 

Yes, bad guys all so far. Here's another evil emperor. How about being so vain and pleasure-seeking that you bankrupt the Roman treasury and then fill it up again by having wealthy citizens executed on false treason charges so you can confiscate their property? When your own sister wants you dead, there's a reason.


Commodus, AD 177-192.
Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 180.
Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae.
Refs: RIC 10a; Cohen 301; BMC 4;

 

Justinian I
Had 30,000 people massarced during Nike riots.....
But his AV coins are cheap! and plentifull.....

 

I enjoy the Frank Robinson auctions for the coins.. but also for the little tidbits of humor he sometimes includes in the coin descriptions...as I am sure most do as well..

In an auction last year he had this coin (not this very coin/ not my coin):



The description was something like "There are many rats depicted on Roman coins.. this one has an actual rat".

 

How dare you speak that way of St. Constantine!!!!
Just kidding...

 

Nero was one of the baddest of the bad boys, it is written he used Jews and criminals as human torches to light up the streets at night.
Nero, AR Denarius Temple of Vesta, 65-66 AD, RIC 62, 3.17gm.

 

No Caligula yet?

 

I was waiting for a Nero, because I don't have one of my own, and the fact that he apparently kicked his pregnant wife to death in a fit of rage just gives me chills.

 

Elagabalus? He seems immature and weird but not evil. Fabulous coin though .

Yeah... "apparently"... I'm very skeptical of many of the stories we've come to believe about Nero.

That said, here are a couple of Neros:


Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24


EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero
Regnal year 14 (CE 67/8)
AE diobol; 27 mm, 10.9 gm
Obv: NEPΩKΛAVK[AIΣΣEBΓEPA]; laureate head right
Rev: L - IΔ; "vase" (Emmett), or "oinochoe" per others (others are probably correct)
Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 1, 2 (this coin); Dattari cf 286; RPC 5322; Emmett 153.14; Poole (BM, 1892) cf 188?; Milne -; none in a few other minor references I own. Rare.
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/more-to-this-than-meets-the-eye.309276/

Commodus generally ranks high among emperors thought of as evil:


MOESIA INFERIOR, Markianopolis. Commodus
AE 25mm, 8.5 gm
circa CE 177-192
Obv: ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗ ΚΟΜΟΔΟС; bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛЄΙΤΩΝ; the Three Graces standing facing, heads left, right, and right, respectively: the left holds amphora over dolphin, the center drapes arms over others, and the right holds wreath over amphora
Ref: Hristova & Jekov 6.10.26.4; RPC IV online 4319; Varbanov 702 corr. (direction of heads).

Caligula certainly makes the list. All I have is this mediocre and overpriced common bronze, purchased at a coin show in 2014:


Caligula (Gaius), CE 37-41
CE 37-38, Rome mint
AE As, 30 mm, 10.6 gm
Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare head left
Rev: VESTA above, S C across field, Vesta seated left, holding patera and sceptre
Ref: RIC 38, Sear5 1803, Cohen 27

 

Ok Roman Collector here we are. My favorite Bad emperor. This coin type is ironic since in less than four years Gaius would be assassinated by the Praetorians. The extra image is of Caligula's pleasure ship on Lake Nemi.

Ruler: Caligula (Augustus)
Coin: VF Brass Sestertius
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT - Laureate head left
AD LOCVT - Gaius Caligula stg. l. on daïs, extending r. hand in gesture of address (ad locutio), a sella castrensis (camp stool) to r., before him stand five soldiers r., all helmeted, holding shields, and parazonia, four aquilae behind them, in ex. COH,
Exergue:


Mint: Rome (37-38AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 24.69g / 34mm / 180
Rarity: Scarce
References:
RIC 32
Sear'88 #612
Cohen 1
MIR 3, 6-4
BMCRE 33
Provenances:
Baldwin's of St. James's
Acquisition/Sale: Baldwin's of St. James's Internet 8/9-20-17 #31 $0.00 9/17






Ruler: Caligula (Augustus)
Coin: VF Brass Sestertius
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT - Laureate head left
AD LOCVT - Gaius Caligula stg. l. on daïs, extending r. hand in gesture of address (ad locutio), a sella castrensis (camp stool) to r., before him stand five soldiers r., all helmeted, holding shields, and parazonia, four aquilae behind them, in ex. COH,
Exergue:


Mint: Rome (37-38AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 24.69g / 34mm / 180
Rarity: Scarce
References:
RIC 32
Sear'88 #612
Cohen 1
MIR 3, 6-4
BMCRE 33
Provenances:
Baldwin's of St. James's
Acquisition/Sale: Baldwin's of St. James's Internet 8/9-20-17 #31 $0.00 9/17

 

Septimus Severus, made ten most evil Emperors list. He murdered anyone who got in his way. He had an extermination campaign in Britain vs the Caledonians. His son Caracalla turned out to be like Dad.

 

Well, nothing in the OP said it could only be Roman emperors

Phraates V, or Phraatakes ("little Phraates") ruled over Parthia from 2 BC to 4 AD. He acquired the throne by murdering his own father; but since his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all done the same in their own times, that particular atrocity could almost be excused as a peculiarity of the Arsakid imperial line. However, he then married his own mother Musa, and that was too much for the Parthians, who rose up and overthrew him.

A drachm of Phraatakes alone:

A drachm featuring his beautiful blushing bride:

I think Phraatakes fits the "Evil Emperors" category well because, not only do his actions seem evil to most contemporary people, but his own society judged them evil and punished him.

 

Domitian was considered 'evil' by the senatorial and equestrian classes. They wrote the history books, so I suppose that's history's verdict.

Here is one of the last coins struck for Domitian just before his assassination.


Domitian
AR Denarius, 2.99g
Rome mint, 96 AD
RIC 820 (R2). BMC - . RSC - .
Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XVI; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Minerva stg. l., with spear (M4)
Ex Savoca Numismatik, eBay, 10 April 2015.

This very rare denarius was struck within the span of just a few days between 14 September 96, when he assumed TR P XVI, and 18 September 96, the date of his assassination. Most likely the mint immediately halted production once word reached them of Domitian's death, melting down all the new coinage that had not already been issued because of the Damnatio Memoriae decreed by the Senate against him.

 

Nero



Elagabalus



Contantine I



Edward I for his treatment of the Scotts



John I



And last but certainly not least, good ol’ Wang Mang