So, I know Ptolemaic bronzes have a hole on the middle, due to some reasons that are mostly speculated and as I understand we are not sure if we know. I came across two bronzes recently which on one side bear not only one but also a second hole which seems cruder and less accurate than the usual ones and also not in the center of the coin. Why is there a second hole and is it something due to the minting process that we can find in also other Ptolemaic bronzes or it is some kind of a damage? I include two different coin photos with this particular extra hole.
I don't think the holes that are off center were there when the coin was struck. There would be no reason for the holes to be part of the die. They look like they may be intentional but could also be handling damage somewhere along the in life of the coin.
I've seen these on Roman Alexandrian drachms. Sometimes it may be a defect in the flan casting, but I've also seen them filled with bronze disease powder. I suspect that the bronze disease may be the cause of the pits.
