Received this in a lot awhile ago. After some investigation online I have it as Severus Alexander - mint city: Nicaea The reverse inscriptions on all samples I was able to find are: ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ most with the ΩΝ under the horizontal line. As per below (not mine).. As you can see on my coin the letter does not look like Omega to me.. Any input is greatly appreciated. Perhaps I am way off... cheers!
Here's a link to a few different inscriptions under the line....https://www.cngcoins.com/Search.aspx?PAGE_NUM=&PAGE=1&TABS_TYPE=2&CONTAINER_TYPE_ID=1&IS_ADVANCED=1&ITEM_DESC=Severus Alexander Nicaea standards&ITEM_IS_SOLD=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_1=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_3=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_2=1&SEARCH_IN_CONTAINER_TYPE_ID_4=1 In that there is a large lot that looks like one of the coins has a similar inscription, on the right.
That's an interesting coin Ancient Aussie! I have a couple of these, although both have the ΝΙΚΑΙΕΩΝ in line with the standards so not directly comparable to yours (but since the opportunity presents, I have posted the better of my examples below anyway ) and I couldn't see another example similar to yours in a brief online search [edit for clarity* that is, with a "W" shaped character instead of a Ω]. Perhaps the "W" shaped character on your coin is just a slip by the engraver. But it is interesting that it appears where you would expect Ω, as it is similar to the character for what is now a lowercase Ω (ω). I don't think that the Greeks started using a lower case in the manner it is used now until the early medieval period, but according to the font of all (mostly accurate) knowledge - Wikipedia, ω existed as an alternative form of Ω much earlier: "The modern lowercase shape goes back to the uncial form , a form that developed during the 3rd century BC in ancient handwriting on papyrus, from a flattened-out form of the letter () that had its edges curved even further upward." I wonder if the engraver made a conscious decision to use that form instead of the standard one?
