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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 4048200, member: 19463&quot;]I believe you touched for the reason for this seeming inconsistency when you pointed out that many/most of these differences are gradual changes as a young man grew a beard.&nbsp; It seems too much to list a dozen stages of beard growth but portraits were updated every time the die cutter wished rather than a few times in a long reign like we see on UK coins of Queens Victoria and Elizabeth II.&nbsp; There is also a matter of worn coins effectively shave slight beards so it will be possible to find die duplicates that appear to be bearded or beardless depending on wear or strike.&nbsp; &nbsp; At first thought I agreed with your desire for a separate catalog number but I changed my mind when I remembered how I dislike very minor cataloged differences like &#039;slight drapery on far shoulder&#039;.&nbsp; I can deal with head versus bust gracefully when the difference is a chest and shoulders rather than a neck but am tired of arguments over things like draped versus draped and cuirassed, etc.&nbsp; I can live with a footnote stating, &quot;Coins of this type show a variety of beard lengths over the period of issue.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>There is one exception I make here.&nbsp; IF the beard difference is considered important in some way (perhaps separating the portraits of father and son), they need to be mentioned.&nbsp; Therefore, we need not point out that Carus was bald but we should mention that for Gordian II.&nbsp; Unfortunately there are many Eastern mint coins of either Philip I or Philip II that seem to combine old features with a lack of facial hair making the distinction less than absolute.&nbsp; Ancient coins are analog; not digital.&nbsp; Catalogs are easier when differences are yes and no rather than maybe.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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