Featured Latin inscribed- small object

Great.Thanks for the reply. Interesting you would say so. I also got the same idea and was actually searching that earlier.

 

I just saw the dimensions which would make it pretty unlikely to be a full size sword I’d think. Maybe a smaller knife tiny hatchet or scaled down version of something like that. Any idea what the metal is?

 

I agree. I was thinking from a small dagger of something similar.

My first thought was silver (because it has that shine,well to me) But silver is too soft/fragile for this (also no marks)?

So I was thinking maybe sterling silver then? It’s completely non-magnetic,got some black residue when cleaning the inside. I suppose it could also be stainless steel?

 

Or what do you think,please?

 

Also any indication or idea/guess (even) as to possible age?

 

Could you please transcribe the letters as you see them, and indicating likely spacing? It is difficult to get a good view of the text from the photos.

 

Ok. Will do that. Thanks

 

The one side reads:
Victus Vita
Dignitas Vi

The other side:
U Plenusa Vi
S Digni Vic (but also the last letter looks more like a ‘d’?)

or as a possible sentence (depending on how you read it,not sure which side to start or ‘line’ to follow)

but:

Victus Vita U Plenusa Vi Dignitas Vi S Digni Vic

Or

Victus Vita Dignitas Vi U Plenusa Vi S Digni Vic (or d)

 

It does not appear to be standard classical Latin. "Vi" seems to be used as an emphasis, like English uses the suffix "est". So "plenusa vi" = full-est. The "U" looks like it is actually a "Ut", meaning "as/to". I think a useful translation would be something like this:

Victus Vita ut Plenusa Vi - live life to the fullest

Dignitas Vi S Digni Vic - most worthy of honorable success

I cannot find other examples of the exact phrases through google.

 

Much appreciated. Thank you for the reply and for making such an effort with the translation. I rather like this little interesting thing. Would have really like to know the history of it.

 

The outside does look pretty silvery. The inside not quite as much. Too hard to say from photos!

 

I agree. Thanks for the reply