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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 1284936, member: 19463&quot;]The vast majority of Byzantine cupped coins show signs of double striking on one or both sides.&nbsp; I agree with the theory that the cups were done to allow thin coins with greater strength.&nbsp; Cupped dies would be hard to engrave with exactly matching curves but any variation would cause either the center or edges to be flatly struck with one blow.&nbsp; Hitting twice with a small rocking action between the two would considerably improve the area of die to flan contact.&nbsp; Another theory is that this system would make it hard to engrave a copy die reproducing a coin since no coin was an exact image of the die that struck it.&nbsp; That makes counterfeiting harder.&nbsp; In some periods flat coins were made with pure copper while cupped coins were alloys containing silver (billon) but about the same weight.&nbsp; I&#039;m not sure anyone knows &#039;why&#039; but these factors have been mentioned in the past.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Please look at the example below from Alexius III:</p><p>[ATTACH]143129.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p>On the obverse, Christ&#039;s face is doubled to the right of the main strike.&nbsp; On the reverse the right figure shows an extra halo spaced about the same offset as the extra cheek on the other side.&nbsp; The die showed one globus crucifer between the two figures but this coin has one clear and one partial one just right of the stronger one.&nbsp; It you move (in your mind) the extra halo and extra globe together, you can see that the spacing is consistent.&nbsp; The right figure almost is climbing out of the bowl since it was struck with a blow far from straight up and down.&nbsp; All this strongly suggests to me the correctness of the theory that the dies were curved and intentionally double struck with a small rocking motion between the two hits.&nbsp; A small slip between the two makes obvious doubling as on this coin while a perfectly even rocking motion not raising the die at all might allow a more even transfer that still went around the curve of the cup.&nbsp; These coins are hard to find well struck on both sides.&nbsp; That would require the chance pairing of matching radius dies and smooth application of two strikes.&nbsp; That is a lot to ask on a fast paced production line.&nbsp; Gold/electrum coins often faired better than the billon/copper ones.&nbsp; I don&#039;t own any gold ones so my examples tend to be ugly (but interesting).</p><p><br /></p><p>My observation is that many coins show a better strike on the reverse suggesting the first blow stuck the flan to the top die and the slippage was all shown on the bottom (usually ruining the obverse).&nbsp; The Manuel I below is typical of this with great detail and legend on the reverse but severe slippage ruining the obverse (can you see Mary?).&nbsp; On the obverse the legend should go straight across the coin MP&nbsp; @V but this is off enough that the right halo hits the body closer to the waist on the left and the dotted circle has a major offset down and right.&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH]143134.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p>Usually the best coins of this style will have a little doubling on both sides rather than one great side and one real mess as seen here.&nbsp; Of course many are a mess on both sides so that explains the fair price of the same billon coin being anywhere from a couple dollars to over a hundred.&nbsp; I have seen many fewer nice obverses and suggest you consider buying one sided coins where Christ or Mary on the obverse are fully clear.&nbsp; Clear reverses (usually emperors) are easier to find.&nbsp; Anyone who can grade these things fairly without writing a paragraph has my admiration.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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