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Message:: [QUOTE="Jochen1, post: 3348305, member: 103829"]Dear Friends!  Pick (AMNG) does know of a small coin for Julia Domna from Nikopolis ad Istrum, AMNG I/1 1486, with the legend IOVΛI[A] ΔO]MN[A] CE and the rev. NIKOΠOΛIT ΠPOC ICTPON, crescent with one star in the cavity, another smaller below the crescent. He writes "On the obv. seems to stand an E before IOVΛI[A]; wether it is to read actually EIOVΛI[A] remains doubtfully. Pick does know only of this type. Meanwhile we know of 4 different types, all struck with the same obv. die. 1st Coin:Nikopolis ad Istrum, Julia Domna, AD 193-217AE 17, 3.74g, 16.85mm, 195°Obv. EIOVΛI - [Δ]OMN CE Draped bust r.Rev: NIKOΠOΛIT ΠPOC ICTPONCrescent with 2 stars: one star in the cavity, a second one below the crescentRef. a) AMNG I/1, 1486 corr. (writes IOVΛIA and ΔOMNA; 1 ex., Bukarest)b) Varbanov 2848 corr. (= AMNG 1486)c) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.17.48.3 (plate coin)rare, about VF, dark green patinaPedigree:ex CNG Electronic Auction 283, Lot 161[ATTACH=full]886621[/ATTACH] This is the very type from AMNG. The legend on the obv. Pick could read only partially. He writes IOVΛI[A - ΔO]MN[A] CE, but obviously it is EIOVΛI - ΔOMN CE! 2nd Coin:Nikopolis ad Istrum, Julia Domna, AD 193-211AE 17, 3.15g, 16.95mm, 0°Obv. EIOVΛI - [ΔOMN] CEDraped bust r.Rev. NI[KOΠOΛI]T ΠPOC ICTPOBig 8-pointed star with dots at the pointsRef. a) not in AMNGb) not in Varbanovc) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.17.48.6 (plate coin)very rare, F/F+, dark green patina, legend only partially readable[ATTACH=full]886622[/ATTACH]3rd Coin:Nikopolis ad Istrum, Julia Domna, AD 193-211AE 17, 3.01g, 16.56mm, 225°Obv. EIOVΛI - [Δ]OM[N] C[E]Draped bust r.Rev. NIKOΠO[ΛIT ΠPO]C ICTPONBig 8-pointed star with dots at the pointsRef. a) not in AMNGb) not in Varbanovc) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.17.48.7 (plate coin)very rare, F/F+, dark green patina, legend only partially readable[ATTACH=full]886623[/ATTACH]4th Coin:Moesia inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum, Julia Domna, AD 193-211AE 17, 2.65g, 17.34mm, 45°Obv. EIOVΛI - [ΔOMN] CEDraped bust r.Rev. NIKOΠOΛIT ΠPOC ICTPONBasket with handle, filled with fruits (apples?)Ref. a) not in AMNGb) not in Varbanovc) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2018) No. 8.17.52.3 (same dies)very rare, rev. with central patina damage, probably made by wire brush[ATTACH=full]886624[/ATTACH] This phenomenon we know in other relationships too. So some coins of Commodus from Nikopolis show instead of the usual ΠPOC ICTP the rarer ΠPOC EICTP (AMNG I/1, 1242), or the city of ICTPOC at the Black Sea sometimes becomes EICTPOC. The question is: What does that E on our coins mean? Is it only a Greek variant of IOVΛIA as NЄIKOΠOΛITΩN instead of NIKOΠOΛITΩN? Or is there anything more behind it? To explain this phenomenon we have to make a side trip into linguistics, resp. social linguistics. I have taken my examples from my German language. But I hope you understand the point nevertheless. Overgeneralization:The generic term is called "overgeneralization". It is a period children pass through when they are learning their first language. Most frequently it occurs when strong, irregular verbs grammatically were mixed with weak regular verbs, for instance the preterite "fliegte" or "trinkte", instead of "flog" or "trank". Known is a sentence cited by the scientist Els Oksaar "Opa hat gesitzt und gelest", instead of the correct form "Opa hat gesessen und gelesen". It occurs too when plural forms are built. I will never forget the moment when I as young medical doctor stood beside the bed of a three years old boy looking at his picture-book. I pointed to a pic and asked him what he can see there. Answer was "Schäfe". I corrected him with "Schafe", but he teached me that naturally they were called "Schäfe". And wasn't he right? Plural form of "Schwan" is "Schwäne", of "Hahn" "Hähne" and of "Gans" "Gänse". Hypercorrection:What the die cutter has made with the coin of Julia Domna with his EIOVLI is called hypercorrection and is seen as a kind of overgeneralization. It is the attempt to assimilate himself to the dominating speech form. The die cutter had in mind that the Greeks often change the Latin I into Greek EI, for example Antiochia into Antiocheia, Nicomedia into Nikomedeia or Seleucia into Seleukeia. In this way he made I-OVLIA to EI-OVLIA. It is characteristically that this phenomenon has a distinct social component. The speaker or writer will not appear as illiterate and assimilate himself, here to Greek, as he see it. Hypercorrection typically is seen in social upwardly mobiles who want to match the language use of higher classes which they perceive as standard norm (Wikipedia). But often they overshoot the target, then it's just a hypercorrection. And from the viewpoint of the standard norm which they see as exemplary it is a linguistic mistake. (Wikipedia) Something similar I have learned myself with the pronunciation of German words. I was born in North Germany and grown up there, has been socialized there as it is said today. Then I came to South Germany into the land of the Swabians. That was a real cultural shock. Most of them were speaking Swabian, an Upper German dialect, sometimes hard to understand. But it was funny that my Swabian colleagues want to teach me that my pronunciation of some words was incorrect! You must know that the pronunciation of the German language in North Germany is seen as the most correct High German, so that speaking High German in Swabia has a arrogant touch (what I didn't know before!). All the more they were pleased to be able to make clear that "Städte", written with "ä", should be pronounced with "open ä" and not with "wide e", as it was done in North Germany. The same with "Bären (bears)" and "Beeren (berries)". But it is not that simple! The differentiation between these two pronunciations usually happens by the context of the sentence (Wikipedia). They too have fallen into the trap of hypercorrection. Literature:(1) Pick, AMNG I/1, 1898(2) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov, Nicopolis ad Istrum, 2018(3) Wikipedia Best regards[/QUOTE]

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