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 Replies: 11 / Views: 7,832 |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
Yes, that's what it says.  Sorry I don't have the other side, this was grabbed from the web. Does anyone recognise the symbols? I'm familiar with In hoc signo vinces but this has me stumped. It's been suggested that there may be a Balkan connection. Any guesses? Thanks, Bob |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
I believe the "symbols" you refer to are backwards letters in the latin-alphabet (the alphabet that I'm typing in right now, LOL)
I believe the medal says "In Hoc Vince"
Edited by CheetahCats
03/20/2011 7:34 pm
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Moderator
 Australia
16832 Posts |
Yep, either the pic is backwards, or the medal itself is backwards for some reason. I assume it's supposed to be "in hoc vince" and a normal chi-ro christogram.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
The pic is not backwards, the letters HOC are in the normal orientation. In Hoc Vince translates as, In this conquer (I think, my days as altar boy are long behind me)
Also the dish shape at the base of the labarum is outside my experience.
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Moderator
Australia
16832 Posts |
Quote:
the letters HOC are in the normal orientation. No they're not, the Cs are both backwards, just like the Ns and the E. You're looking at it upside down. If the medal actually is all "backwards Christian imagery" like this, I would suspect it to be an occult/satanist amulet. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
Thanks Sap. Yes of course it's blindingly obvious, once someone has pointed it out.
My first thought was some form of esoterica/occult, but my eyes saw more than was actually there by reading HOC upside down.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Indeed. The only alphabet that uses a "backwards" "N" is the Cyrillic. And that letter is 'И' (ee). Yet, there is no letter "V" in the Cyrillic alphabet (nor "I" in the modern Cyrill). Thus it is backwards Latin.
Edited by CheetahCats
03/20/2011 9:29 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Maybe it was used for a wax seal. Here's what it would look like:  |
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Moderator
Australia
16832 Posts |
The loop at the top would make it kind of awkward to use as a seal. You'd end up getting wax (or lead or whatever) stuck in the loop or on the cord or chain that went through it. Messy.
Further, the lettering and design are raised, which if it were a seal would become incuse on the final imprinted object. Seals are usually like coin dies, with lettering carved in incuse so that on the seal imprint the lettering is raised.
Occam's Razor: the most likely explanation is a backwards picture.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Quote:
Occam's Razor: the most likely explanation is a backwards picture. Lol... Indeed. And further, judging by its diagnostics, the medal is a modern issue. Edited by CheetahCats
03/20/2011 11:44 pm
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Rest in Peace
United States
9104 Posts |
Bassackward pic was my first guess, too. Further, I suspect the medal was originally enameled, but most of it fell out, because that kind of surface is hard to bond.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
Well whaddayaknow, I've finally got one of these in hand. The original picture is right. This thing is made bassaackward.  and I'm still none the wiser. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 7,832 |
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Posted 03/20/2011 6:57 pm
