  A self-adjoint first order system with Hermitian $\pi$-periodic potential
$Q(z)$, integrable on compact sets, is considered. It is shown that all zeros
of $\Delta + 2e^{-i\int_0^\pi \Im q dt}$ are double zeros if and only if this
self-adjoint system is unitarily equivalent to one in which $Q(z)$ is
$\frac{\pi}{2}$-periodic. Furthermore, the zeros of $\Delta - 2e^{-i\int_0^\pi
\Im q dt}$ are all double zeros if and only if the associated self-adjoint
system is unitarily equivalent to one in which $Q(z) = \sigma_2 Q(z) \sigma_2$.
Here $\Delta$ denotes the discriminant of the system and $\sigma_0$, $\sigma_2$
are Pauli matrices. Finally, it is shown that all instability intervals vanish
if and only if $Q = r\sigma_0 + q\sigma_2$, for some real valued $\pi$-periodic
functions $r$ and $q$ integrable on compact sets.
