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Message:: [QUOTE="Valentinian, post: 2446181, member: 44316"]My Sear Byzantine 1109 of Constans II is one of those hard-to-decipher overstrikes with signs of three strikes on the obverse. The last strike show two emperors standing side by side, with the smaller on the right.  The corresponding reverse is clear, so it is Sear 1109 from SCL (Sicily). But, on the obverse it is easy to see a much larger head (top at 12:30) of an undertype, DO 178, SB1007, and also at 10:00 the SCL of the reverse of a previous strike, possibly also DO 178, SB1007, or maybe this same type, SB 1109, but the reverse (as a flip strike) and perhaps the right vertical of the M (at 7:00 to 9:00 in this orientation).  [ATTACH=full]510640[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]510641[/ATTACH] Byzantine copper is usually struck with 6:00 die-axis, so if you can see part of an undertype on one side, rotate it to 6:00 and look for signs of the corresponding undertype on the other side. With this reverse there is not much to see except the + above the monogram which does not belong there. I do not know why Constans II overstruck his own types (these differ in Sear by only two numbers). Perhaps it is because the earlier was as sole emperor and when he elevated Constantine IV (654) it was decided a new obverse with both emperors should replace the single-emperor obverses.[/QUOTE]