Strange Constantius II legend

[agord]

I recieved an interesting coin today. From the auction photos, and on first inspection in hand, the obverse legend
reads
D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVGG
Coin on the left in the photo. The coin on the right is another RIC VIII Rome 259, the same issue, used as a style
comparasion of an official issue.
The bottom pic is a closeup of the legend, and I believe shows that the second G in AVGG is the result of double
punching rather than an engraving error as I had first thought.

[SC]

Interesting. 

By double punching do you mean you think it is from a double struck coin or that the engraver used punches to put the letters on the die and used the G twice?

I did notice that the entire right side of the obverse legend is quite a mess when compared to the left side.  The IV are mushed together.  The P and F are both very ugly.  Signs of a double strike?

Shawn

[agord]

If you look at the bust you can see the double strike with a bit of rotation. Check the forehead, nose and chin. Looks like just enough rotation to explain the extra G.

[SC]

Yah, tip of eye and eyebrow too.  But all the seems to point towards a slight drift to 3 o'clock direction, maybe with a bit of rotation downwards, and yet the second G has shifted quite far to 7 o'clock direction.

I don't doubt it was a double strike.  Like I said I see lots of chewed up letters etc.  I just can't figure out exactly how it worked.

Same with the Gordian III sesterius double strike I posted in Coin of the Day a few days back.  Only a small amount shifted. 

I am really fascinated with these double strikes.

Shawn

[Matthew C5]

Souldn't the D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVGG 'N' in the obverse legend show shadowing above the head as well if it was shifted?  I've seen some coins that seem to imply that the die engraver had either too much room left or not enough and made a mess by the time they were done.  This might explain more the clairity on one side vs. the other?  Maybe a bit too much wine at lunch-break?? 

[SC]

That's the strange thing about many double strikes.  It is not a case of even double strike everywhere.  The second strike seems to fix some but not all.

Check out this sestertius.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=100605.0

Shawn

[Matthew C5]

Interesting.  Perhaps it's due to an uneven heat exchange, or different pressure points on the 2nd strike?