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X‐RAY FLUORESCENCE AND DENSITY MEASUREMENTS ON SURFACE‐TREATED ROMAN SILVER COINS *
Author(s) -
ZWICKYSOBCZYK C. N.,
STERN W. B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-4754.1997.tb00815.x
Subject(s) - corrosion , tempering , diffraction , fluorescence , x ray fluorescence , materials science , mineralogy , metallurgy , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , optics , physics , environmental chemistry
Some 630 Roman silver coins excavated at Augusta Raurica (Switzerland) have been analysed by non‐destructive X‐ray fluorescence and X‐ray diffraction. Furthermore, the density and the weight have been determined. The measured average density of plated and massive depletion‐silvered coins is lower than the density calculated from the chemical composition, whereas massive coins display equal values for both of the densities. Based on experimental X‐ray investigations of modern silver (tempering, acid treatment, production of corrosion layers), the nature of corrosion products on silver, their impact on surface analysis, and aspects of wearing‐off by circulation are briefly discussed.