What do the markings on my rosary mean?

[Marc_Aupiais]

I have a very old rosary which I inherited from my grandfather – it has what looks like an M, then two Js, almost intertwined. I was wondering, does this mean anything?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

I’d have to see the markings to be sure, but from your description, it is possible that the letters stand for Jesus, Mary, Joseph. It was a pious custom of the past century or so for Catholics to mark everything from their paperwork to their tombstones with a +JMJ in honor of the Holy Family.