This is a 100 plus year-old piece of costume jewelry (a buckle, of odd design) made before 1910 by Fishel, Nessler & Co. The piece is ~1 3/4" in diameter. The characters/writing behind the lower portion of the helmet crown look like Greek to my untrained eye. The Helmet shows what appears to be a serpent twisted over a staff (caduceus?). The person depicted (and named by the inscription?) could have been a warrior King (Queen?) or Prince/Princess. He/she shows long hair, no facial hair, a strong nose and chin, perhaps an ear-ring or stud...and maybe a goiter. If any of you are familiar with something similar in ancient coinage, and/or can read the inscription, I'll be very grateful to hear about it. Thanks for looking! Warren
That is Athena, daughter of Zeus, goddess of wisdom. I don't collect ancients but I think that portrait also appears in ancient coinage (staters?)
It's probably patterned after a gold stater of Alexander the Great. Here is one of many varieties from CNG's archives: The buckle's inscription appears to be nonsensical.
