The scrapes were done on the
flan before striking. The gorgon's
head is the highest
part and rarely has the marks.
Although the scrapes are called "adjustment marks" on dealer sites there is no evidence that the coins were being adjusted to meet a
weight standard. In fact, these coins'
weights varies widely.
During this time Amisos and nearby cities were experimenting with new metals. Brass was being introduced. Some sites claim this
type was a brass
type, others that these are bronze. (I've never
had them tested.) Perhaps the technique of making brass flans wasn't perfected, and the scrapes were to smooth the
flan surface (to lengthen die lifetime?) Or maybe it helped with the color? The claim is that the brass was worth more than bronze, and I'd guess much effort towards making the coins look "brassy" would
help.
Later coins would be smoothed using a circular method, leading to "
centration dimples". No one knows why.
