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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 3248358, member: 19463&quot;]I see absolutely no reason to assume on this or any other ancient coin that the entire die was cut by one worker. If I were running such an operation, I would have a master put the finishing touches on each portrait after it was rough cut by an apprentice.&nbsp; There could well be a legend staff as well as&nbsp; lower level specialists in border dots, hair, drapery, or even smoothing die surfaces and inscribing layout lines.&nbsp; If you proved you could do dots, they might let you do something more and work up to being allowed to do Imperial faces.&nbsp; I have a feeling the guy who cut those letters might have soon found himself holding reverse dies while the hammerman was striking them.&nbsp; Early Greek coins may have been done by &#039;artists&#039; but later I am sure the operation was done by &#039;staff&#039;.&nbsp; It is the only way you could cut the number of dies needed in a short time and insured there would be replacement masters when the current ones &#039;retired&#039;.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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