Babylon tetradrachm graffiti or die cutting?

[livingwater]

Hello,
I recently got this Babylon tetradrachm, Price 3692.  The reverse is doubled and has some cut lines in front of Zeus' legs.  The cuts look old.  My first impression was someone enjoyed themselves trying to be artistic while carving the graffiti sometime after the coin was struck.  Then I wondered...  could this be the die cutter starting to make the die, then realized the design was too far left, abandoned the first cuts and started over further right?  I'd think such a mistake would have been so obvious the die would have been destroyed, not used.  Any thoughts, opinions?  Thanks.  Mark

[curtislclay]

I think from doublestriking.

The ghostly third leg duplicates Zeus' left leg in the main strike.

[livingwater]

Hi Curtis,
Thanks for responding!  I looked at the coin with a 10x.  See the closeup pics I took.  I think this is graffiti in front of Zeus' legs after the coin was struck.  Looks like the cut goes over the knee and into one of the edge dots on the bottom.  Rather unusual.  Somebody took the time to follow the leg outline.  There is doubling in other areas from the strike.  Regards, Mark.  

[djmacdo]

It cannot be the result of die cutting--the scratch is incuse.  If it were in the die, it would be in relief.

[PtolemAE]

It cannot be the result of die cutting--the scratch is incuse.  If it were in the die, it would be in relief.

Possibly part of one process?  Could the carving tool 'raise a bead' along its path on the die and lead to this kind of shadow effect?  We sometimes see material was apparently more 'pushed' (by a tool) on the die than carved away and removed completely; e.g. around dots surrounded by 'incuse' circles on a struck coin.

PtolemAE