Have a look at the following, which discusses the classic interpretation of both the "L" sign in the papyri and the "L" of the coins:
F. W. G. Foat, "Sematography of the Greek Papyri," /Journal of Hellenic Studies/ 22 (1902), 149-151. Hope it helps, Foy Scalf University of Chicago Panagiotis P. Iossif wrote:
Dear Members of the group, I'm a numismatist (classical historian and archaeologist) and new to this group. My knowledge on papyrology is limited to my university seminar. I'm preparing a general study of the numismatic appearences of the L-dates on Ptolemaic coins. The survey I prepared indicates an origine from the Phoenican mints of the Lagid empire (Askalon as the original mint). I also examined the possible occurences of the same date form on inscriptions, but nothing came out. What I would like to know is the presence of such a symbol in papyri. Is 'L' a conventional symbol introdusing dates in these texts? If yes, do we know its origin: Greek, Egyptian or Aramaic? I'm not satisfied by the traditional explanation of 'L' as the abbreviated form for 'ETOYS'. Any help would be very welcome. Best regards, Panagiotis
-- Foy Scalf Head of Research Archives Oriental Institute 1155 East 58th Street Chicago, IL 60637 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1-773-702-9537
