In Mr. Scranton's publication of the inscriptions found by the American School at Phlius in 1924 (Hesp. V, 1936, p. 235 ff.) he comments (p. 238) on the unusual form which occurs in no. 2 in the words and suggests that it may have been a modification of another letter, as or or , intended to represent ɳ). In this connexion, attention may be drawn to another example of this letter-form, though apparently without the central dots, in an inscription from Asprókampo, near Perachora. It is given by L. Ross (Arch. Aufs. II, p. 661): , σᾶμα. A facsimile of Ross’ original drawing from his diary is also published in IG IV. 414, Röhl IGA 18. Forchhammer, who also made a copy, (Halcyonia 1857, 14) saw the third letter as , and Le Bas (RA I, 174: Voy. Arch. II, 77, pl. IV, no. 6) did not see the first five letters at all, while Röhl (loc. cit.), taking Forchhammer's reading as correct, suggested σᾶμα. Kirchhoff (Geschichte3 p. 88) gives Ross’ facsimile without commenting on the form of the third letter, and in the fourth edition mentions the inscription without giving the facsimile.

That Ross himself was convinced that this form was on the stone, and was intentional, is shown by his attempts (loc. cit.) at connecting it with other similar signs from the Greek and other alphabets.1