0000000000067934
AUTHOR
Fiorenzo Catalli
Solid-state electrochemical characterization of emissions and authorities producing Roman brass coins
[EN] The voltammetry of immobilized particles (VIMP) is applied to describe the solid state electrochemistry of brass. This methodology, which involves sampling at the nanogram level, is applied to discriminate mints/authorities producing different Roman monetary emissions covering since the Republic (88 BCE) to Domitianus (55-96 CE) Upon attachment to graphite electrodes in contact with aqueous acetate buffer at pH 4.75, well defined voltarnmetric responses were obtained centered on Cu- and Zn-localized signals whose intensity can be correlated to EMP data, being sensitive to the contents of Zn (15-30 wt.%) and Sn (0.01-1.1 wt.%). Voltammetric data, combined with ATR-FTIR and FIB-PESEM/EDS…
FIB-FESEM and EMPA results on Antoninianus silver coins for manufacturing and corrosion processes
[EN] A set of ancient Antoninianus silver coins, dating back between 249 and 274¿A.D. and minted in Rome, Galliae, Orient and Ticinum, have been characterized. We use, for the first time, a combination of nano-invasive (focused ion beam-field emission scanning electron microscopy-X-ray microanalysis (FIB-FESEM-EDX), voltammetry of microparticles (VIMP)) and destructive techniques (scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA)) along with non-invasive, i.e., micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that, contrary to the extended belief, a complex Ag-Cu-Pb-Sn alloy was used. The use of alloys was common in the flourishing years of the Roman Empire. In th…