So I found this coin and don't even know the language that's printed on it, can someone please help me?
1869 Greece 5 Lepta https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/greece-5-lepta-km-42-1869-1870-cuid-1200700-duid-1330272
I was guessing that it meant Barre. Some of the French medalists of the 19th century were known to create designs for the currencies of other countries. Chris
I saw that when I searched the page and found nothing, but did see the engraver was Barre. I don't know much about the language, but it does seem like P and R are reversed since they used "P" for "BARRE" and "r" for "P" in "LEPTA". (I don't literrally mean those characters, but similar in shape for that alphabet)
I'm afraid that's a rim bruise and not a clipped planchet, but otherwise, the coin is not bad. These got heavily circulated and are often found really worn and beat up. I used to get them in bulk lots from time to time. Yes, though a Greek issue, this coin was struck under contract in France, at the Strasbourg mint ("BB" mintmark). The designer was one of the French engravers named Barre, I suppose. Maybe Albert Désiré Barre? As to why that is rendered as "BAPPE" on the coin, I'm guessing it's because the Rho letter is "P" in the Greek alphabet, which is equivalent to the Roman R. (?) Just speculating here. Funny, I never noitced it was BAPPE on these coins instead of BARRE, until just now. (*My first name begins with an "R", so my brain often subconsciously converts P's to R's. Many's the time I've made that slipup when writing stuff longhand.)
Jean Jacques Barre was Albert's father, but it couldn't have been him because he died in 1855. Albert lived until 1878. Chris
The Greek letter P (Rho) is equivalent to R. I learned a few useful things being in a college fraternity besides tapping a keg. Knowing the Greek alphabet is also useful in deciphering ancient greek and Roman Provincial Coinage as well
The Greek minors of this era were pure copper and relatively soft. Like many large, pure copper coins, they're seldom found without "flat spots" on the rims from being dropped - accidentally or deliberately - on hard floors. The weight of these "Æ1's & 2's" combined with the malleability of the copper to take on a flat spot of some size - from barely noticeable to full "flat tire" - whenever they were dropped.