In this paper we present the results of a study performed on a large collection of silver Roman republican denarii, encompassing about two centuries of history. The joint use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy allowed for an accurate determination of the coins' elemental composition; the measurements, performed mostly in situ at the ‘Monetiere’ in Florence, revealed a striking connection between the ‘quality’ of the silver alloy and some crucial contemporary events. This finding was used to classify a group of denarii whose dating was otherwise impossible. The comparison with other contemporary denarii disproves a recent theory on the origin of the so called ‘serrated’ denarii (denarii showing notched chisel marks on the edge of the coin). ©

X-Ray Fluorescence and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analysis of Roman silver denarii

SCUOTTO, MARILENA;
2012-01-01

Abstract

In this paper we present the results of a study performed on a large collection of silver Roman republican denarii, encompassing about two centuries of history. The joint use of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy allowed for an accurate determination of the coins' elemental composition; the measurements, performed mostly in situ at the ‘Monetiere’ in Florence, revealed a striking connection between the ‘quality’ of the silver alloy and some crucial contemporary events. This finding was used to classify a group of denarii whose dating was otherwise impossible. The comparison with other contemporary denarii disproves a recent theory on the origin of the so called ‘serrated’ denarii (denarii showing notched chisel marks on the edge of the coin). ©
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Pubblicazione.pdf

non disponibili

Tipologia: Abstract
Licenza: PUBBLICO - Pubblico con Copyright
Dimensione 974.25 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
974.25 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11574/148247
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
social impact