Is the external beam PIXE method suitable for determining ancient silver artifact fineness?

Weber, G.; Guillaume, Joseph; Strivay, David; Garnir, Henri-Pierre; Marchal, André; Martinot, L.

doi:10.1016/s0168-583x(99)00948-9

Cited by 21 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…42 One study examined the suitability of nondestructive PIXE for determining the fineness of ancient silver artefacts. 43 It was concluded that PIXE gave results that were comparable to silver assays done in ancient times by fire assay.…”

Section: Non-ferrous Metals and Alloysmentioning

confidence: 87%

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

Fisher

Hinds

Nelms³

et al. 2002

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

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Section: Non-ferrous Metals and Alloysmentioning

confidence: 87%

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

Fisher

Hinds

Nelms³

et al. 2002

J. Anal. At. Spectrom.

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“…As pure silver coins are physically inconvenient, copper has deliberately been added in silver for hardening, economic reasons, and to give desired size and weight for the purpose of circulation of coins . The enrichment of silver metal on the surface of the silver‐copper coin is still not well defined, and many hypotheses like segregation of components during casting due to immiscibility, deliberate heat treatment or cold deformation, and selective leaching of more reactive component, i.e. copper on the surface, were reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examination and analysis of Indian silver punch‐marked coins employing WD‐XRF and other noninvasive techniques

Mamania¹,

Singh

Lal³

2018

Surface & Interface Analysis

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The archaeometallurgical analysis of ancient silver coins provides useful information regarding fabrication methodology, provenance, and trade route and explains large diversification in elementary composition, weight, and physical features. The present investigation deals with the chemical analysis and examination of the processing history of Indian punch-marked silver coins dating to 400-200 BC. The chemical analysis was carried out by wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The microstructural examination was performed using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and different phases were identified by Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) Spectroscopy. It was observed that all eight coins were manufactured with silvercopper alloy. The ore used for obtaining silver was argentiferous galena, and cupellation was carried with perfection. The absence of slag inclusions as revealed by SEM examination indicated that coins (numbers 2, 4, 5, and 7) were cast from a molten state. The presence of Cu 2 O, CuO, and Ag 2 O on the surfaces of the coins was confirmed by XRD.The formed oxide layers provided protection and saved the coins from bulky corrosion products. The data reveal great divergence of coin surface from the composition of the core with the far better metallurgical process for refining of silver for this hoard.

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“…Nevertheless, analytical results obtained for coins without any previous cleaning treatment can be affected due to corrosion processes. This is connected with the fact that this technique has low penetration depth, which is approximately 30 μm for Ag when working in the range of 2.5 to 3.0 MeV . Therefore, an appropriate cleaning procedure may allow a more accurate determination of the fineness of the coins to acquire a better understanding of metal sources used and minting processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface characterization of medieval silver coins minted by the early Piasts: FT‐IR mapping and SEM/EDX studies

Pięta

Lekki

Hoyo‐Meléndez

et al. 2017

Surface & Interface Analysis

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An investigation of a numismatic collection of silver denarii from the early Piast dynasty was conducted using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The studied coins, minted between 995 and 1020 AD under the rules of Boleslaus the Brave and Mieszko II Lambert, belong to the collection of the National Museum in Kraków. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy imaging and mapping have been used for recording a visual image of the surface chemistry based on vibrational spectra and accurately representing the distribution of chemical compounds, respectively. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was used to study the surface topography of the coins and characterize their elemental composition. Differences in the distribution of the identified chemical compounds were detected in heterogeneous areas of the denarii. Corrosion effects, associated to many factors including the alloy composition, the metallographic structure, the manufacturing processes, and the environment were also observed and identified. KEYWORDSBoleslaus the Brave, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, FT-IR, numismatic studies, scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, SEM/EDX, silver coins 1 | INTRODUCTION Nowadays, due to the need for high sensitivity, reliability and nondestructiveness, several analytical methods are continuously been developed to study cultural heritage objects, including numismatic collections. Vibrational spectroscopy methods (infrared absorption spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and ion beam analysis techniques (particle-induced X-ray emission [PIXE], particle-induced γ-ray emission, and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry) are the most commonly used in this area and allow for high sensitivity and reliable identification. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] These kinds of studies are useful to enrich the discussion on many historical aspects, such as coinage production, provenance of raw materials, forgeries, and conservation treatments. [16][17][18][19][20] In the previously published paper, we have already described the voltammetry of immobilized particles study of a series of 20 denarii from Boleslaus the Brave and Mieszko II Lambert. 21 The analytical results can offer complementary information to archaeologists, art historians, and conservation professionals, interested in finding a correlation between the chemical composition of the coins and their historical, economical, and political aspects.Additionally, numismatic objects have a higher survival rate in comparison to other types of historic artifacts. Therefore, in the last few years there has been an increasing interest in the field of physicochemical analysis of historic coins. However, the analysis can be difficult because of chemical changes and corrosion processes caused by different human and natural factors, which noticeably alter the surface composition of the objects. 22,23 In a previous paper, 16 XRF analysis was performed...

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Is the external beam PIXE method suitable for determining ancient silver artifact fineness?

Cited by 21 publications

References 3 publications

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

Examination and analysis of Indian silver punch‐marked coins employing WD‐XRF and other noninvasive techniques

Surface characterization of medieval silver coins minted by the early Piasts: FT‐IR mapping and SEM/EDX studies

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