This thread is dedicated to the primal desire to have your enemy beheaded. I envite any and all coins to this thread, Mid evil, all the way back to Ancients. Post your coins, if you would like give a little back history to the reason why the enemy went to the gallows, firing squad, even lethal injection. Post em here.
I suppose the 2016 Harpers Ferry quarter qualifies. John Brown was hanged for leading a revolt intended to abolish slavery.
Here's a Tamanaco from Venezuela, Chiefs of the Indigenous of the 16th century. These gold Tokens were made in the 1960's. Interesting back story of a legend! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamanaco
Great stuff folks. My computer is having trouble linking photos at this time. I have a few coins to post when I get this fixed.
How about this charming fellow: https://coinweek.com/coins-of-transylvania-and-dracula-vlad-the-impaler/
If beheading is more your style (hey, why the weirdly violent thread topic?), then here's one from my own collection. Grand Master Maximilian of Austria has a great big sword to smite your enemies with! (Or he could mount his demonic looking horse and ride 'em down with his lance, if you prefer.)
Here's an End of Pain Token I recently bought from 1793, one of my favs but not as nice as @lordmarcovan!
This is not a coin; it's a "medalet." This piece was issued to make a martyr of John Brown after he was hung for treason. This piece is usually found in white metal. This one was struck in brass, which makes it a bit scarcer. I saw a number of white metal pieces before I bought this one. White metal is very prone to marks and corrosion, I just didn't like what I saw. There is a larger version of this design which shows up from time to time. Since I generally stick with the pieces that are listed in the DeWitt / Sullivan political items books, I have never gone after it. This is not a popular view, but I am not a big John Brown fan. My take on him was right cause, extremely wrong methods. When he raided Harpers' Ferry, Virginia in 1859, the first person who was killed was an African-American baggage handler who was just living his life. Brown's plan was to sponsor a group of runaway slaves who would hide in the hills and come down and attack people from time to time. He planned on arming them with pikes (speers) until they learned to use guns. He was attacking the armory to steal guns for his revolution. Brown was very violent, and probably insane. If you visit the museums at Harpers' Ferry, West Virginia, the rangers there make a big hero of this historical figure. I had to hold my tongue.
Here's my "End of Pain" medalet. I have one because it's listed in DeWitt / Sullivan. Thomas Paine is big American hero because he wrote "Common Sense" during the Revolutionary period. He did well with that publication, but after that, his life went downhill. He went to England and supported the French Revolution, which made him very unpopular there, as you can see from this token. The situation in France was very fluid during the "Reign of Terror." One day, you could be among the "ins," and the next day you could be headed for guillotine. Paine was broke when he finally returned to America. Patriots like Thomas Jefferson helped him out financially, but he was washed up as a writer. Like John Brown, I think that he didn't make good choices. The French had good reason to have a revolution. The trouble was it really went off the rails. After Napoleon took charge, it got worse for the rest of Europe.
Weirdly voilent, I wouldn't say so. Back in the day, 100 years ago we were standing in the streets to watch the ridding of fellow Americans being strung up with a bag over their head. Citizens partying, celebrating the end to the terror that was inflicted upon them. I get that... Stringing someone up, to have a so called escape Goat is another. Doesn't that make this topic so fascinating?
Oh, as mentioned, the one I posted isn’t mine. I linked to its eBay listing. Agreed. John Brown was a zealot, and zealots are dangerous. You can see the crazy in his eyes in some of the old photos. While his cause was righteous, his violent deeds were way over the top, and were at least one of the sparks that ignited the powder keg of the Civil War. I had the pleasure to meet the late Tony Horwitz, one of my favorite authors, on his last book tour, for the book he wrote about John Brown and the Harper’s Ferry raid. (Great historical token, BTW.)
