That second highlight looks more to me like an optical illusion created by the both the d-ring and the edge of the bottom tube reflecting light, with empty space in-between them.
And I was under the impression that Roy’s CAD perspective matching pretty definitively confirmed the centered d-ring. There’s also the leading theory of the Graflex case (or similar) d-ring bracket, which would have had a single, central rivet hole, rather than two.
Not to say that this isn’t a production-made piece, but we shouldn’t immediately start scrapping our bottom halves and trying to replicate this new variant. It may well just be that—a variant. There’s some indication that a few heroes were made and used for the production. Maybe the one seen in the publicity photos (and some scenes) used a Graflex case’s d-ring/bracket, and this other variant used a quick-and-dirty handmade bracket with two rivets.
The early Folmer-style button also raises questions. As does the fact that this was simply tossed away as trash, rather than being taken home by a member of the production or returned to Bapty’s. Perhaps this was one of the several Graflexes which Christian found, but served as a prototype, which was then discarded after the actual hero prop(s) was constructed.
