Counterfeiting at Le Clos-Paul in Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes, France). Reconstruction trial of a complex chaîne opératoire

Méaudre, Jean-Charles; Quellec, Vincent Le; Guihard, Pierre-Marie; Blanchet, Guillaume; Téreygeol, Florian

doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2021.102858

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Another important category to consider is the production of illegal counterfeits by casting. These coins were produced by pouring molten base metal into pre-fired clay moulds which had been impressed with a genuine high-value coin as a hub [ 65 ]. A thin sheet of silver or gold foil could be compressed onto the surface [ 34 ].…”

Section: Synthesis and Interpretationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Authenticating coins of the ‘Roman emperor’ Sponsian

et al. 2022

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The ‘Roman emperor’ Sponsian is known only from an assemblage of coins allegedly found in Transylvania (Romania) in 1713. They are very unlike regular Roman coins in style and manufacture, with various enigmatic features including bungled legends and historically mixed motifs, and have long been dismissed as poorly made forgeries. Here we present non-destructive imaging and spectroscopic results that show features indicative of authenticity. Deep micro-abrasion patterns suggest extensive circulation-wear. Superficial patches of soil minerals bound by authigenic cement and overlain by oxidation products indicate a history of prolonged burial then exhumation. These observations force a re-evaluation of Sponsian as a historical personage. Combining evidence from the coins with the historical record, we suggest he was most likely an army commander in the isolated Roman Province of Dacia during the military crisis of the 260s CE, and that his crudely manufactured coins supported a functioning monetary economy that persisted locally for an appreciable period.

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Section: Synthesis and Interpretationmentioning

confidence: 99%