Bizzare Double Strike

384, Lot: 164. Estimate $300. Sold for $1600. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MYSIA, Kyzikos. Circa 500-450 BC. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (11mm, 2.67 g). Nude male kneeling left, holding in his extended right hand a tunny fish by the tail / Quadripartite incuse square. Von Fritze I 112; Greenwell 86; Boston MFA 1488 = Warren 1503; cf. SNG BN 253 (stater). VF, rotated double strike (see below).

As only the obverse is double struck, it appears that the coin stuck to the reverse die on the first strike and was then struck again with the second struck offset (so much for quality control!).