Need help with Gallienus Antoninianus Reverse Legend

This is a bit tricky for me because the reverse type appears to be Mars standing left and the reverse legend appears to read MART plus something else. Not MARTI plus INVICTO or PACIF or PROPVG.

I suppose it could read VIRTVS AVG, but that's a weird-looking VIR if that's the case.

There's an officina mark, S, in the exergue.

Am I completely missing the boat? What's the reverse legend supposed to read? Is this even Gallienus? I'm pretty sure it is.

Sorry about the photo quality. This is enlarged and cleaned up from a photo of a group lot I recently bought at auction; the seller did not attribute any of the coins individually.

 

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VIRTV-S AVG

 

Yes. Gallienus. Yes VIRTVS AVG.

Göbl 1150k

GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right, slight drapery on both shoulders
VIRTVS AVG, Mars standing left, holding reversed spear right and shield left. S in exergue

Not mine:-

 

It's almost certainly VIRTVS AVG. Lettering was just weird around this time.

 

Thanks, guys!!

This must be RIC 325, then:

 

This question is not towards anyone in particular. Zumbly makes an interesting comment.

Curious: As I try to decipher the lettering, I can REALLY appreciate @Roman Collector 's question. WHY was lettering so "weird" at that time? Were the Cellators lazy? Illiterate? Technologies lost? Empire backwater period?

The elements and strokes of the letters look like cuneiform stylus marks in a clay tablet...

 

There is a distinct drop in quality associated with a dramatic increase in the volume of coins produced. I suspect the engravers were under pressure to produce more dies as opposed to quality dies.

 

I am always amazed when we modern people with our thousands of fonts expect the Romans to have adopted a letter style in 700 BC and lived with it for the duration. Why? Fashion changes make art interesting. Sometimes we see changes in lettering style between mints. Often we see it between times. Why did Picasso not paint like Rembrandt? Was he not a good enough artist? The 'artist' drew this was skilled enough to draw anything but decided not to work in oils. I admire the skill of Jim the Penman (but owning it would be illegal).

Note this RIC number specifies four shops (what is N). I always liked mine where the VI is inserted in a gap in the encircling legend. I might now have doe it that way but the mint did that day.

 

Interesting coin @Roman Collector

 

Thank you. That makes a lot of sense to me. I also agree and understand @dougsmit ... but this style is illegible, even considering your comments.

 

This group lot has one like that, too! And the font is much more legible.