The Temptation of the Succubus was the first coin we ever created — and in many ways, it became the soul of Pheli Mint itself. What began as an image of dark beauty evolved into a meditation on choice, desire, and the eternal tension between creation and destruction.
The succubus has haunted human imagination for centuries — a figure of forbidden beauty, capable of awakening both wonder and ruin. In ancient myth, she was a demon who fed not on flesh, but on vitality, seducing mortals with promises of pleasure, power, or escape. Yet what makes her story enduring is not her evil, but the truth she reflects back to us: that temptation is rarely monstrous — it is beautiful, persuasive, and intimately human.
For us, the succubus is not merely a symbol of lust or corruption — she is the embodiment of illusion. She represents every path that looks golden at the outset but drains the spirit with every step forward. She is addiction disguised as passion, comfort disguised as love, ambition disguised as purpose. She is the voice that says, “Just one more time,” even when we already know the cost.
In that way, the Temptation of the Succubus is both warning and mirror. She reminds us to look beyond the surface of things — to question what draws our attention, what captures our hunger, what steals our energy without our awareness. Her story asks: What do you give your power to? What do you worship when you’re not watching?
And yet, within that question lies empowerment. To see the succubus clearly is to take back your own reflection — to reclaim your will from the illusions that have shaped it.
Forged in 2 oz of .999 fine silver, this coin captures that moment of awakening: the exact instant when beauty reveals its shadow, and we decide who we wish to be. The intricate relief, the tension between grace and danger, and the haunting calm of her gaze — all serve as allegory for that choice we face every day: the line between indulgence and wisdom, fascination and truth.
We designed this piece not as ornament, but as philosophy in metal — a tangible reminder of how transformation often begins with the things that test us most. The succubus, after all, is not the enemy — she is the teacher that appears when we are ready to see ourselves clearly.
Temptation is the forge of character.
It is through our brushes with darkness that we learn to discern the light.
The Temptation of the Succubus became the genesis of our Seven Deadly Sins collection — the archetype from which the rest emerged. It represents not only the first sin, but the first awakening: the moment when the collector, like the creator, recognizes that the pursuit of beauty must always come with awareness.
This is what defines our art, our philosophy, and our work at Pheli Mint — that every round carries both story and shadow, inviting those who hold it to reflect, to remember, and to choose consciously the life they are feeding.
Every creation story begins with an awakening — a moment when something imagined becomes real. For Pheli Mint, that moment took form in 2016, when we released our first piece: Temptation of the Succubus.
At the time, we didn’t yet call ourselves philosophers in silver — we were just two creators fascinated by how myth, psychology, and art could meet inside a single round. But this image — this woman — became the symbol of everything we would later stand for: beauty with consequence, allure with awareness, and the eternal tension between light and shadow.
The Succubus is drawn from ancient lore — a fallen being of impossible beauty, once angelic, now bound by her own hunger. Legends say she wanders the thresholds between light and fire, offering pleasure, power, or peace to those who cross her gaze. But her gift is double-edged. To those who accept without discernment, she takes far more than she gives.
In our depiction, she emerges from the dark mouth of a cavern — part cathedral, part inferno — her wings vast, her expression neither cruel nor kind, but knowing. She is not a caricature of evil; she is temptation made flesh. The candles that surround her are both votive and warning — tributes to those who came before, and beacons for those still searching in the dark.
Her torn white garment hints at purity lost, yet not entirely gone. Her eyes, steady and human, ask the viewer a question: What are you seeking in the dark?
We chose the Succubus because she is the oldest metaphor for the cost of desire — the reminder that what captivates us most is often what challenges us to grow. She is not just a demon; she is the teacher who forces us to confront our appetites, our illusions, and the parts of ourselves that would trade meaning for momentary satisfaction.
When we designed her, we saw her not as a monster, but as a mirror — a reflection of the choices that shape us. She became, quite literally, our first sin — and the foundation of the Seven Deadly Sins series that would follow years later.
The success of Temptation of the Succubus in 2016 did more than launch a collection — it defined our creative ethos. We realized we weren’t just minting images; we were minting stories, philosophies, and emotional truths. This design proved that collectors didn’t just want silver — they wanted meaning, reflection, and a piece of something larger than themselves.
It was here that Pheli Mint was truly born — not as a business, but as a calling.
“Every temptation reveals what we value most. Every resistance reveals who we truly are.”
— Pheli Mint Founders’ Reflection, 2016
If the 2016 Succubus marked our awakening, the 2017 edition became our reckoning — the moment we invited the world into our creative process and learned what it truly meant to shape myth together.
After the overwhelming reception of our first release, we decided to open the doors and let our followers, collectors, and fellow dreamers help choose the design for our next piece. We launched a contest on 99designs, inviting artists from around the world to bring the Succubus back to life — darker, bolder, and more refined. What followed was as chaotic and exhilarating as creation itself.
Hundreds of designs poured in — each one a different vision of temptation: some graceful, some grotesque, some angelic, others purely infernal. Our community debated, voted, and argued passionately. In the end, this image — a poised, elegant succubus seated on a throne of skulls, lit by a shaft of pale, judgmental light — captured the spirit of what Temptation had always represented: beauty standing unflinching in the face of mortality.
She sits in her lair of consequence — neither ashamed nor triumphant, simply aware. The pool of crimson before her is not blood but reflection; the skulls beneath her are not trophies but reminders. The human face she holds in her hand — half curiosity, half reverence — represents consciousness itself.
Her wings, dark and tattered at the edges, are illuminated from within — the fire of desire still alive, still burning, but now tempered by awareness. This version of the succubus is no longer the temptress who lures — she is the observer of those who come willingly.
She is evolution. The first Succubus was temptation incarnate; the second became the embodiment of consequence.
In true artistic fashion, the design sparked debate. When we made the decision to remove her horns from the final coin, it created a small storm among our followers — proof that the succubus still had power to provoke. Some saw the horns as essential to her demonic nature; others saw their removal as refinement — a choice that made her more human, more real.
To us, it symbolized a shift: temptation was no longer an external demon, but an internal voice — beautiful, persuasive, and far harder to recognize. The absence of horns became the point. The darkness wasn’t outside of us anymore.
That year taught us one of our most valuable lessons as creators: that art is dialogue, not decree. The loudest opinions aren’t always the truest reflections of the whole. What began as a design contest became a mirror — showing us that our community, like our art, was made of many layers: passion, disagreement, insight, and growth.
The 2017 Succubus was born not just from our hands, but from the collective energy of those who believed in what we were building — a community of thinkers, artists, and collectors exploring the human psyche through silver.
Where the first Succubus warned of deception, this one warns of self-recognition. She no longer hides behind beauty; she confronts the viewer with their own gaze, daring them to ask: Do you know what you desire, or are you still pretending you don’t?
The skulls below her throne represent every version of ourselves consumed by temptation and reborn through wisdom. The faint, spectral light that falls across her form symbolizes truth — cold, revealing, and necessary.
“The first Temptation showed us what to fear.
The second showed us that the fear was our own reflection.”
— Pheli Mint Founders’ Note, 2017
By 2018, the Succubus had become more than a coin — she had become a living myth within our community. Collectors waited each year to see what form she would take next, and we once again invited that same community to help shape her evolution. The contest brought hundreds of submissions, voices, and visions — each a reflection of how people saw temptation: some saw her as monstrous, others as divine.
It was exhilarating, passionate, and, at times, divisive. Creativity has a way of exposing truth — not just in art, but in people. Through that process, we discovered both the beauty and the burden of collective creation. Opinions clashed, alliances formed, and tempers flared. In the end, this fiery design — a succubus suspended in midnight air, wings unfurled against a storm of swirling leaves and moonlight — rose above the rest.
It was the year temptation learned to ascend.
This Succubus is not the same creature who once lurked in caves or sat among bones. She has taken to the skies — no longer a tempter crouched in shadow, but a being of full awareness and power. Draped in crimson fabric, she floats effortlessly between night and light, her expression serene, almost inviting.
Behind her, the full moon burns like an eye of judgment, illuminating every contour of her wings — not as symbols of evil, but as instruments of transformation. The autumn leaves swirl in her wake, signifying change, decay, and rebirth — the natural cycles that even the most divine or damned must obey.
In this imagery, temptation is no longer an external force reaching for us; it is the part of ourselves that has learned to soar. She is passion untethered, intelligence freed from shame. She is danger that knows itself.
If the 2016 Succubus embodied discovery and the 2017 edition represented consequence, then the 2018 design represents transcendence — the moment when awareness itself becomes liberation. She has accepted her duality: light and dark, beauty and danger, creator and destroyer.
We realized that year that temptation isn’t something to be vanquished — it’s something to be understood, balanced, even respected. The Succubus had grown into a symbol of creative energy itself: the same fire that can destroy is the fire that forges.
For us as creators, this design mirrored our own transformation. What began as a collaborative experiment had become a crucible. The contest was exciting, but also painful — and through that experience, we learned that while community gives art its life, vision gives it direction. It was the last year we designed by committee, not out of disappointment, but out of understanding. True creation requires unity of purpose — a single voice carrying many echoes.
The 2018 Succubus stands as a testament to evolution — of art, of philosophy, and of us as creators. Her ascension through moonlight symbolizes the choice to rise above noise, confusion, and ego. She reminds us that every act of creation carries both chaos and clarity, and that sometimes, the hardest part of growth is realizing not every voice can guide you.
Her wings spread not in defiance of heaven, but in embrace of truth: that temptation, properly understood, is simply the call to become more than you were.
“The third Temptation taught us that desire isn’t the enemy — it’s the compass. What matters is where you let it lead you.”
— Pheli Mint Founders’ Reflection, 2018
By 2019, the Succubus had lived through three incarnations — each a reflection of where we were as creators and as people. The first emerged from curiosity, the second from consequence, and the third from ascension. But with the fourth design, we sought something different — a shift from the digital and conceptual to the tactile and eternal. We wanted the Succubus not just drawn, but sculpted into being.
To achieve that, we partnered with Italian sculptor Sandra Deiana, whose artistry transformed our mythology into something tangible — a piece that feels both classical and alive. Sandra brought with her the centuries-old tradition of the School of the Art of Medal-making in Rome, where she learned the language of metal — how to capture emotion not with color or motion, but with the subtlety of line, depth, and form.
Her work bridges past and future: hand-carved plaster models brought to life through modern minting precision. This fusion of tradition and innovation perfectly mirrored what we wanted Temptation to become — not a fantasy, but a lasting symbol of the human struggle between power and awareness.
In this 2019 edition, the Succubus is no longer a fleeting figure of desire — she is sovereign. Seated upon the skull of a dragon, she holds her trident not as a weapon, but as a scepter — the emblem of dominion over her own chaos. Her wings, once symbols of fall and flight, now rest open but still, balanced between vigilance and repose.
Her gaze is confident yet contemplative — no longer hunting, no longer seducing. She has become a queen of her own shadows. Around her lie the remnants of past selves — the bones of what she has conquered within. The Roman numerals MMXIX anchor her in time, yet she feels eternal, as if she could have been carved from the walls of an ancient temple.
This Succubus marks the culmination of a transformation: no longer temptation embodied, but self-mastery personified.
The dragon’s skull beneath her hand represents fear — ancient, powerful, and slain not by force, but by understanding. The pile of bones to her right symbolizes the lessons of past lives and the mortality of illusions. The trident, forged in symmetry, speaks to discernment — the ability to separate truth from allure, strength from domination, creation from destruction.
Where previous editions invited introspection through struggle, this one invites reflection through peace. She has learned to rule her impulses rather than be ruled by them. She is not free of darkness; she is in harmony with it.
Working with Sandra Deiana was itself an act of transformation. Rather than beginning with a finished concept, we began with a dialogue — one that blurred the line between creator and interpreter. Sandra approached the project not as an execution, but as a translation: taking our vision and rendering it in the universal language of form.
Her mastery of plaster modeling gave the Succubus a realism and texture that photography and digital design could not. Every curve and contour carries intention — the subtle strength of a sculptor’s hand guiding an ancient story into the present.
“My art is the bridge between the idea and the metal —
a way to give permanence to emotion.”
— Sandra Deiana
The final result captured something new: depth, weight, and maturity. It was a reminder that temptation, like creation, is a process of shaping — chiseling away illusion until truth emerges.
The 2019 Succubus became more than another coin; it became a philosophy of craft. It taught us that sometimes, to evolve, you must return to the roots — to the human hand, to discipline, to the humility of collaboration.
Her story — and ours — had come full circle. The Succubus who once whispered in shadows now sat in stillness, her lesson complete: that power without awareness corrupts, but awareness without courage stagnates.
“The fourth Temptation showed us that mastery is not control, but peace.
When the fire no longer consumes, it illuminates.”
— Pheli Mint Founders’ Reflection, 2019
By 2020, the Succubus had lived through years of transformation — from seduction to consequence, from flight to sovereignty. Each design reflected a stage of evolution — not just for her, but for us as creators. We knew it was time to bring her story to a close — gracefully, intentionally, and on our own terms.
We wanted the final chapter to feel like a culmination — a return to the roots of symbolism, craftsmanship, and the human condition. And to achieve that, we reached out to someone who had quietly influenced everything we’d ever done: Heidi Wastweet.
Heidi was not just a sculptor we admired — she was the artist whose work, particularly the Freedom Girl, had first captured our imagination years earlier and ignited our passion for privately minted silver. Working with her wasn’t just a collaboration; it was a personal milestone — a moment when art, admiration, and authenticity converged.
To us, this wasn’t just another coin — it was a conversation with the very muse that started it all.
The 2020 Succubus stands as both culmination and revelation.
No longer the defiant seductress or regal conqueror, she is now contemplative — poised above a fallen man beneath the crescent moon and ancient stone archways. Her wings, worn and skeletal, stretch outward like the vestiges of choices made and lessons learned. Her expression is neither cruel nor triumphant — it is mournful, reflective.
The scene captures the eternal balance of power, desire, and regret — not as opposites, but as interwoven forces that define our humanity.
In her posture lies a silent question: Was the victory worth the cost?
The ancient alchemical symbols etched beside her — for spirit, fire, water, and earth — remind us that all transformation demands balance. The moon above suggests cycles — endings that are beginnings, temptation that is reborn as wisdom.
The composition is both intimate and monumental — Heidi’s mastery of bas-relief breathing atmosphere into stillness. Every curve, shadow, and space between her wings tells a story. The stone floor beneath them feels ancient, yet timeless, grounding myth in the real world — a hallmark of Heidi’s craft.
This final Succubus represents closure — the end of struggle, the surrender to understanding.
The man beneath her symbolizes humanity — flawed, yearning, and often undone by its own desires. The Succubus, once the agent of temptation, now becomes its reflection. Her hand drifts through her hair as if lost in thought — not over power, but over empathy. She has seen the full circle of temptation, from lust to loss to learning.
There is no more chase, no more deception — only acceptance.
This is where the series was always meant to end: at the intersection of temptation and truth.
Working with Heidi Wastweet elevated the Succubus from narrative to legacy. Her sculptural language — steeped in the classical traditions of Rome and Florence, yet utterly modern in execution — gave the piece an authenticity and emotional resonance that transcends medium.
Heidi approaches bas-relief as both art and philosophy. In her own words, she describes it as “the marriage of sculpture and drawing — the tangible and the illusory, where shadow becomes substance.” That philosophy echoes perfectly in this design, where light and form interplay to reveal both vulnerability and strength.
For us, collaborating with Heidi was a full-circle moment — a chance to work with the very artist who unknowingly inspired the creation of Pheli Mint itself. Her presence lent not only legitimacy, but a sense of completion — as though the muse had stepped into the story.
“The first coin drew us into the fire.
The last taught us how to hold it.”
— Pheli Mint Founders’ Reflection, 2020
The Succubus series was never just about mythology. It was about reflection — on temptation, consequence, power, and self-awareness. From the bold digital beginnings to the sculpted serenity of the finale, each piece marked an evolution — not just of the art, but of the artists.
By choosing to end the series here, we honored what it represented: balance, restraint, and creative integrity. We didn’t want to dilute its meaning through repetition. Instead, we chose to close the book while it still burned brightly — complete, whole, and eternal.
This final piece stands as both an ending and a benediction — a reminder that temptation, like art, is only dangerous when misunderstood, and only beautiful when seen in full light.
MMXX — The Year Temptation Found Redemption.
The Temptation of the Succubus series is where it all began — the spark that lit Pheli Mint’s creative journey and redefined what collectible silver could mean.
From her first appearance in 2016 to her final incarnation in 2020, the Succubus became more than a figure of myth. She became a mirror — of humanity, of art, of evolution itself.
Each year told a new chapter:
2016 — The Awakening: The first Succubus, born from curiosity and courage, marked our descent into myth and metaphor. She was temptation in its rawest form — alluring, dangerous, and alive.
2017 — The Reckoning: A crowd-forged vision, born from debate and passion. She sat upon her throne of consequence, teaching us that creation is chaos — and that beauty’s edge is always sharp.
2018 — The Ascension: With her crimson wings unfurled before the moon, temptation rose above shadow. She became transcendence — proof that desire, when understood, becomes power.
2019 — The Sovereign: Sculpted by Italian artist Sandra Deiana, this Succubus found her throne. She embodied mastery — calm, aware, no longer ruled by the fire, but fueled by it.
2020 — The Reflection: Crafted by Heidi Wastweet, America’s leading medallist, this final design closed the circle. No longer the seductress, she became the philosopher — temptation transformed into truth.
Across these five years, the Succubus became a living allegory for creation itself. She represents the inner fire that drives us — the same energy that can destroy or illuminate depending on how we wield it.
Her evolution mirrors the artist’s journey: from passion to awareness, from pursuit to peace. Every line, every shadow, and every coin holds a fragment of that universal story — the tension between what draws us forward and what holds us back.
In the end, Temptation was never about sin — it was about self.
“Each of us carries a Succubus within — the voice that whispers not of corruption, but of potential.
She asks only one question: Do you have the courage to know yourself?”
— Pheli Mint Reflection, 2020
What began as digital design and community collaboration evolved into a celebration of international craftsmanship.
The series bridges worlds — from the crowd-sourced creativity of its early years to the refined artistry of world-class sculptors like Sandra Deiana and Heidi Wastweet.
Each artist left their mark not only on the metal, but on the story itself. Together, they gave the Succubus form, voice, and eternity.
The progression of the series embodies Pheli Mint’s core philosophy — that meaning gives metal its soul, and story gives silver its value.
The Temptation of the Succubus is not just art — it’s a journey captured in metal.
Each release stands on its own, yet together they form a complete narrative arc that few modern bullion series can claim.
Collectors around the world recognize it as:
A milestone in private minting history, bridging storytelling, sculpture, and symbolism.
A five-year testament to independent artistry, untouched by corporate design trends.
A philosophical collectible, representing transformation — of temptation into mastery.
A finite legend, intentionally concluded to preserve meaning and rarity.
Unlike series that fade through repetition, this one ended by choice — whole, finished, and timeless.
The Succubus was the seed from which all of Pheli Mint’s future works grew — from the moral introspection of The Seven Deadly Sins to the balance of Two Wolves and the empathy of Wounded Healers.
She is the archetype at the center of it all: the flame of awareness, the spark of creation, the eternal muse.
To own a Succubus round is to hold a piece of that story — not just a coin, but a philosophy forged in silver.
2016–2020: The Five-Year Descent and Ascent.
The Journey of Temptation. The Birth of Pheli Mint.
The Temptation of the Succubus was where our story began — the first descent into shadow, the first acknowledgment that beauty and danger often share the same face. But she was never meant to stand alone. Her legacy echoes through everything that followed.
From her reflection arose The Seven Deadly Sins Series — each round exploring the darker archetypes of human nature, from the consuming fire of Wrath to the tragic vanity of Pride. Together they form a study in transformation — how temptation, when understood, becomes wisdom.
Where Succubus taught us to see the darkness within, Two Wolves reminds us that light and shadow exist in all of us — the battle we feed each day shaping who we become.
And for those who walk among real-world demons — the first responders and healers who carry others’ pain — our Wounded Healers Silver Series stands as a tribute to their courage, compassion, and quiet endurance.
Each of these works tells part of the same story — of temptation, choice, and redemption — themes not confined to myth, but lived daily by all of us.
At Pheli Mint, every round we forge carries that philosophy: that beauty should provoke reflection, and metal can hold meaning.
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