Need help to ID the writing/language
 

I am struggling to ID the language on the tablet below this sphinx?

Common sense says it should read EGYPT in that language but may not.

Any help appreciated.

regards

Some of the letters look Greek, but not all. Wondering if it's one of the alphabets used to render Sudanese or Somali, or Egyptian Arabic, though it doesn't look very Arabic.

Peter,

I have tried a on line translater for the word EGYPT but couldnt match it to any language???

regards

Hi Simon,

The fourth symbol from the left that looks like a capital E is 4 in Arabic. That doesn't preclude it from also being something else too.

KR,

Pete

I thought it might be a Greek sigma for 'S' .......might it be antcient Greek rather than modern Greek?

One confusing bit is English letters (or possibly Roman numerals) are included , could these refer to a specific military unit ?

These are collar badges of the Dorsetshire Regiment with the sphinx over MARABOUT

Tim

Klingon. . . it was the umlaut over the V that gave it away.

Tim,they are ORs collar badges.
Officers collars attached.
When the 2nd Btn was in existence, their Officers wore the same without the enamelled tablet.

Indeed but MARABOUT not EGYPT was the point!

Tim

Couple of suggestions for consideration.

Egypt (battle honour)

"It was awarded to British units with the badge of the Sphinx and initially to Indian units simply as Egypt. Later, the badge of the Sphinx was taken into use by Indian units also."

Possible Indian connection ? :confused: (hindi/punjabi/bengali/gujarati)

Saw a badge of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion Licolnshire Regiment , 2nd VOLr BATTn on plinth (and Lincolnshire on scroll underneath) .
I know this is different to badge shown but could it possibly be for another Volunteer unit ? :confused:

All good suggestions thank you.

I have still been unable to ID the language.

regards

So, really, all we need is someone with the patience to piug "MARABOUT" and "Egypt" intio Google translate and look for matches with Arabic / Hindi / Bengali / ancient Greek ' Klingon.

Shouldn't be any time at all before we get an answer. Unless [unlikely] its a fantasy piece, in which case... :(

According to Daniel Brinson in his work on the Insignia of Gloucestershire, the peculiar characters are a manufacturers idea of Greek. See pages 52 and 53.
I have an embroidered FSC badge with similar characters.

Thanks for that.

Could you show me with a clear picture please, thats very blurred.

regards

This is the best that I can do at the moment.

Thats fine thanks.

Looks like, "VDCONTPI".

Is that right?

regards

Interesting, I thought I'd seen illustrations of a Gloster's officer's cap badge with "strange" symbols on the tablet, I've been trying to locate it, thought it may be in a Crown Imperial.

Yes, the letters are VDCONTPI. I attach an example with EGYPT for comparison.

I am getting even more confused now?

regards

Why not drop a PM to Daniel Brinson , he hasn't logged on for a couple of months but may get an alert if he gets a PM.

Mike,

PM sent as suggested.

regards

I believe it is some sort of Masonic code script.

CB

What is a Masonic code script please?

regards

I quite sure it is a type of Masonic code writing. You can see this on various older Masonic regalia etc. I dont know how it works though.
CB

CB,

Having looked it up I see the Masonic Code is mainly parts of a square, triangles and dots so I dont think its that.

BUT

I am swayed to agree with you that it is a coded script of some sort.

Its on a Victorian badge so will be quite old.

Could be some similar Fraternal Society of the period.

regards

Yes, when I refer to Masonic code, I mean it could be another fraternal society. I have seen such mumbo jumbo on old snuff boxes and other bric a brac.
I understand that the old British Army was heavily involved in Masonry and other such organizations.

CB