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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1814280, member: 19463&quot;]You have to wonder if this was a correction for a letter left out but I do believe the devices were cut first.&nbsp; While I am sure that different mints did things in different ways, I do believe that most places had a different person do portraits, reverses and legends rather than one cutter doing all.&nbsp; I suspect it was something of an apprentice system where the important parts were done by a master and the borders by an apprentice.&nbsp; I have seen some dies that make me wonder if the intent was for someone to finish a roughed in design but it never happened.&nbsp; It seems reasonable that an apprentice could remove the bulk of material for a portrait so the mster wold only have to smooth out and add details.&nbsp; We have no evidence so it is just a matter of guessing how such an operation could be run most efficiently.&nbsp; Traditional wisdom is that slaves did this work but the one that was able to do the best portrait work pleasing to the emperor was probably treated very well.&nbsp; Would not we love to have records detailing how all this was done?&nbsp; We never will.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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