This search engine is to help you locate coins based on fragmentary obverse and reverse legends. If you have complete words, you will probably do better with the main search engines. There is also a far superior partial legend search utility for Roman Imperial obverse legends at John Jencek's site, though that does not have reverse legends, nor Greek, Byzantine or Roman Provincial coins. If you're looking for a city name, your best bet may be Sergio Rossi & Ottavio de Manzini's very cool Greek Coins Identifier page for identifying city or ruler name inscriptions. Also useful is Reverse Inscriptions from Moesia and Thrace, by Thomas Burger.
1. Obverse legend around the portrait. (This is usually the side with the head. Sometimes there are two heads, in which case the obverse is the side with the issuing authority's head.)
2. Other obverse legends: to left, right and/or below the portrait.
3. Reverse legend around the rim
4. Reverse legends in the left and/or right fields
5. Reverse legend in the exergue, below the design ("in ex.")
| Direct handling of Greek legends is not yet implemented, so use the standard Latin transliterations | ||
| Greek Character | Latinized Character | Example |
|---|---|---|
| D | D | DOMNA -> DOMNA |
| e | E | ANTONeINOC |
| F | F | FAVCTINA -> FAVCTINA |
| P | P | CEP CEV -> CEP CEV |
| L | L | IOVLIA -> IOVLIA |
| Q | Q | QECCALONIKEWN -> QECCALONIKEWN |
| S | S | LUSIMACOU -> LUSIMACOU |
| C | C | LUSIMACOU |
| Y | Y | |
| X | X | ALEXANDROU -> ALEXANDROU |
| W | W | NIKAEWN -> NIKAEWN |
| P | P or R | (try it with both) |
| Y | U or Y | (try it with both) |
