Valens GLORIA ROMANORVM with unusual mintmark

[Victor]

This coin has an unusual mintmark. In between the SM and RQ is what looks like three dots. This issue should have an ivy leaf as part of the mintmark, but this looks nothing like the normal leafs. Maybe it is just sloppy engraving, but this coin is not poorly engraved otherwise, and the three dots seem very clear. The previous Rome mintmark before the leaf did use a single dot in the mintmark, like R dot PRIMA, so perhaps this was confusion on the part of the engraver.


Valens
A.D. 367- 375
19mm    1.9gm
DN VALEN-S PF AVG; pearl diademed, draped and cuirassed.
GLORIA RO-MANORVM; advancing right dragging captive with right hand and holding labarum in left.
In ex. SM(?)RQ
Cf. RIC IX Rome 23b, type xvi

[Victor]

Below are two coins from Valens with the ivy leaf in the mintmark.

[justus]

In my opinion only the "fancy" of the signator, although a very noteworthy one.

[Victor]

I found another with this odd mintmark, which would strengthen the argument for a new mintmark; but it is a die match. It would be helpful to find different dies to demonstrate this was an actual mintmark, rather than maybe only an engraver's artistic take on an ivy leaf.