A Second Investigation into the Chemical Composition of the Roman Provincial (Procuratorial) Coinage of Judaea,AD 6–66*

An investigation of the chemical composition of the first Roman provincial coinage of Judaea, minted in ad 6–66, was conducted. A total of 103 copper‐alloy coins were analysed by ICP‐AES. It was determined that different copper alloys were used for the coinage, a leaded tin‐bronze and a pure tin‐bronze alloy. The investigation also showed that the copper alloy was made in four different formulae with regard to the alloying elements added to copper. Trace element profiles point to the existence of a shared pool of metal for Roman coins and metalwork.     

ROME AND THE EAST. PRODUCTION OF ROMAN PROVINCIAL SILVER COINAGE FOR CAESAREA IN CAPPADOCIA UNDER VESPASIAN, AD 69–79

During the first three centuries AD several eastern provinces of the Roman empire produced silver coinages of specifically local denominations and types. It has been claimed that at certain periods the mint of Rome was employed to strike some of these coinages, rather than the provincial mints to which the coins are traditionally attributed. This claim is based mainly on stylistic observations, but because style is regarded as subjective, some other form of evidence to support these observations is desirable. In this paper three types of coin are submitted to metallurgical analysis: silver denarii struck at Rome; Roman-style provincial silver coinage; and 'local'style provincial silver coinage. The aim is to discover whether the Rome-style and 'local'style coins have different trace element profiles, and whether these might indicate different ore sources or refining techniques. The results are then compared with Roman denarii to see whether there are any similarities between the denarii and the Rome-style provincial silver coins.     

The Evolution of Pre‐Islamic South Arabian Coinage: A Metallurgical Analysis of Coins Excavated In Sumhuram (Khor‐Rori,Sultanate of Oman)

The present paper deals with compositional and microstructural features of 26 pre‐Islamic, South Arabian coins recently unearthed during archaeological excavations. Most of the investigated coins come from Sumhuram (Khor Rori, southern Oman), and were minted by the Hadramawt kingdom (fourth century bc to third century ad ); only a few of them belong to the Himyarite kingdom's coinage (first to fourth centuries ad ). In addition, some coins of both the Hadramawt and the Himyarite kingdoms found at Qani' (B'ir ‘Ali, Republic of Yemen) have been analysed for comparison. Our main focus was to provide new hints towards the comprehension of the chronological evolution in South Arabian coinage in terms of both metal composition and minting techniques. In addition, some melting crucibles found at Sumhuram have been examined in an attempt to make a comparison with the coins’ composition and to test the hypothesis that they were used for minting operations.     

The image of authority in Carolingian coinage: the image of a ruler and Roman imperial tradition

This article examines the influence of Roman imperial symbols of authority on Carolingian coinage. During the brief period of a specific &1squo;renewal' in Carolingian coinage in the 810s, there was an evident turn to the Roman tradition of demonstrating authority. As a result, the image of a peace-making emperor on Roman coins during the late third to early fourth century was employed on Carolingian coins for the purpose of legitimizing the new imperial authority of the Carolingians. This image, however, was not long-lived and gradually disappeared in the 820s to 830s.     

CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF TEN SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS DENARII

X-ray fluorescence analyses of ten Septimius Severus denarii, all having the catalog number Cohen 777, and all minted in a.d. 196, show the following: (1) copper and silver concentrations in the ten coins cover a rather broad range, (2) lead and gold concentrations correlate with the silver concentrations, (3) no elements, except silver, correlate directly with the copper contents, (4) two coins have very nearly the same compositions, but this could actually be explained by chance, given the precision of the analyses and the range of compositions found for all ten denarii, (5) weights, thicknesses, and diameters of the coins varied over a relatively wide range, but densities varied only slightly. Assuming reasonably homogeneous melts of coinage alloy, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses of many more Severus denarii of a.d. 196 should enable one to deduce several details of the mint operation such as (1) the number of dies in use of C. 777 coins at one time, (2) the overall batch size of coins, and (3) the number of different Severus denarii minted from the same batch of alloy. With improved precision of XRF analyses now possible, it only remains for a source of Severus denarii to be found to enable testing of this hypothesis.     

The early roman imperial AES coinage II: Tracing the copper sources by analysis of lead and copper isotopes—copper coins of Augustus and Tiberius*

Lead and copper isotopes of Roman Imperial copper coins (denominations as and quadrans) were analysed by MC–ICP–MS. We concentrated on well‐dated coins minted at the official mint of Rome under the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius (between 16 bc and ad 37). The lead isotope results were compared with published lead isotope data of ore bodies from the Aegaean, Cyprus, Italy and Spain, in order to fingerprint the sources of Roman copper. During the Augustan period the main copper supply, as judged from the copper coins, is from Sardinia and south‐east Spain, with minor contributions from Tuscany. Except for Tuscany, this continued into the Tiberian period, when Cypriot copper also appears. Augustan quadrantes and late Tiberian asses came solely from the Rio Tinto area in south‐west Spain. Copper isotopes were applied here for the first time to systematic archaeometric studies. They are supplementary to lead isotopes and allow further grouping and classification of the copper coins.     

The Four Roman Ways

This paper reviews the origins, chronology, and changing circulation pattern of the potin coinage of Iron Age Britain. Archaeological evidence suggests that British potins were made in north Kent from the later second century to the late first century B.C. although potins continued in circulation after this. They were the first indigenous coinage, apparently copying cast central Gaulish imitations of the struck bronze coinage of Massalia, and possibly originated in the Medway area. Initially, potins circulated alongside the imported Gallo-Belgic gold coinages and, like them, were probably used as a form of primitive valuable, but in the mid-later first century, their circulation pattern and Junction changed, becoming closely associated with a network of major sites spanning both sides of the Thames estuary and with the later Iron Age developments which accompanied this, notably the elaboration of the well-known ‘Aylesford Complex’. Appendixes list stratified coins and sites with potin finds.     

On Early Thimbles: A Seventh‐Century‐AD Example from Punta Secca,Sicily, in Context

A copper‐alloy thimble was found in 2010 at Punta Secca, Sicily, in a sealed context datable by coins to the first quarter of the seventh century AD. It has generally been thought that thimbles did not reach the Mediterranean area until the ninth century AD, but at least nine metal examples are in fact attested at various places from contexts datable between the late sixth century and the early ninth. It is suggested that the increasing use of silk in clothing in the Byzantine Empire during the seventh century, probably accompanied by the use for the first time of steel needles which made the use of a finger protector imperative, explains the apparent introduction of thimbles at this time. No securely dated metal thimbles are known from sites of Roman date, except for one at Ephesus of c.AD 100. It is very tentatively suggested that this last example might represent an import from China, where thimbles (and steel needles) are attested from at least the third century BC onwards.     

Exotic Celtic Coinage in Britain

This paper examines the c. 250 'exotic' Celtic coins found in Britain, defined as coins originating beyond Armorican and Belgic Gaul. The coins are considered in relation to their typology, their contexts of discovery and their distribution. Several key themes emerge: the occasional import of early continental staters, perhaps in the third century BC; the arrival of fine copies of Massiliot bronze issues during the second century BC, leading to the development of British potin coinage; and, from the first half of the first century BC, the importation of an increased number of exotic coins, mostly from central Gaul, primarily to Chichester, north-east Kent and the territories north of the Thames.     

The coinage of ancient Hadramawt The Pre-Islamic coins in the al-Mukallâ Museum

The pre-Islamic coins in the al-Mukallâ Museum come principally from Shabwa, the capital of the kingdom of Hadramawt. The collection consists of 76 coins, three of which could not be identified because of their poor condition. Sixty-seven silver and bronze Hadrami coins; five silver and bronze Himyarite and Sabaean coins; and one gold Roman coin comprise the collection. This material provides a general overview of the coinage of the ancient Hadramawt, permitting us to distinguish the issues of certain individual Hadrami rulers.     

A long-distance copper alloy trade to the North Eastern Baltic during the late pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age (250 BCE–450 CE) explored with lead isotope MC-ICP-MS

The North Eastern Baltic has no copper resources of its own, meaning that Cu alloy was imported either as raw material or as finished objects. The north-eastern coastline of Estonia during the late pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age was connected to the south by sea to the long-distance ‘amber’ trade route and to the east by Russian river systems. This study quantitatively assesses the direction of the Cu alloy supply in the region before and after brass enters circulation at the beginning of the Roman Iron Age. After an initial portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) survey, 18 objects were chosen for Pb isotope analysis. This isotope analysis resolved a group of nine brass artefacts from the Roman Iron Age amongst a ‘melting pot’ of other Cu alloys. The similarity between the isotope ratios found in the Roman world suggests the presence of the same ‘melting pot’ in the North Eastern Baltic, possibly created by a large amount of Roman Cu alloy being traded north. No evidence for Cu alloy from Scandinavia or the Ural Mountains could be found. The hypothesis from this small study is that the Cu alloy entering Estonia was dominated by metal from Southern Europe from the late pre-Roman Iron Age and the Roman period.     

Metallurgical Characterization of A Coated Roman Iron Coin By Analytical Investigations

A coated Roman iron coin from Villa Loig in Salzburg, Austria was investigated. The coating is a copper alloy consisting of Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn and negligible amounts of Ag, a variant of gunmetal known as ‘leaded red brass’. The numismatic term for such a coin is subferratus (Latin). From an archaeometallurgical point of view, information about the chemical composition, the microstructure and the manufacturing technique are of interest. To achieve these objectives, different analytical techniques and metallographic examinations were applied. Droplet‐shaped iron inclusions were observed in the red brass coating, while at the grain boundaries, inside the iron core, copper and lead were detected (liquid metal embrittlement). The dendritic microstructure of the coating, the spheroidal‐shaped iron inclusions in the coating and the liquid metal embrittlement show that the iron coin was plated by immersing it in a molten copper alloy. The iron core is a low‐carbon steel with slag stringers, both of which are characteristic of a bloomery iron. Deformation twins (Neumann lines) were observed in the microstructure of the iron core and indicate that the coining was performed after the flan was cooled.     

清代云南铜矿垄断经营利润的考察

清政府对云南铜矿实行高度垄断经营的政策,即以低于商品自由贸易市场数倍的价格收购矿铜,又以相对较高的价格将矿铜批发给各铸钱局,通过统购统销来赚取价差,获得了大量垄断利润"铜息"。低价矿铜用于铸钱,极大地降低了铸钱成本,各铸钱局获得了丰厚的"铸息"。不仅如此,各铸钱局利用商品货币市场铜钱价格的高昂,通过出售铜钱或搭放兵饷等途径,最大限度地扩大"铸息"。"铜息"是清政府对云南铜矿实行垄断经营的直接利润,"铸息"是铜矿垄断经营的间接利润,是铜矿垄断利润向铸钱利润的转移。     

Yoram Tsafrir,B.A., M.A., PhD (30 January 1938–23 November 2015)

Abstract

The coins attributed to Alexander Jannaeus include a very common type that was apparently struck during the last four years of his 27-year reign, or possibly after his death. The presence or absence of these common coins, at sites where there is a relevant gap in the sequence of the numismatic archaeological finds, can sometimes indicate whether the site was destroyed and abandoned for a period at the end of the second century and/or during the first half of the first century B.C.E. Analysis of this presence or absence can also, in some instances, help to resolve a long-standing question about the attribution of certain other Hasmonean coins to Jannaeus. These contentions are demonstrated through case studies of the numismatic finds at Samaria, Pella, Bethsaida, Khirbet esh-Shuhara, and Gibeon.     

Plated Iron Age Coins: Official Issues or Contemporary Forgeries

This paper discusses different explanations that have been proposed to account for the existence of plated Iron Age coins, some of which appear to have been struck from the dies used to produce solid metal coins. Evidence occasionally preserved on plated coins proves that at least some of them were struck from dies which had been hubbed from solid metal coins, and it is these solid metal coins that were struck from the dies which the plated coins appear to have been produced from. It is argued that this evidence demonstrates that plated Iron Age coins are merely contemporary forgeries.     

A Needle Assemblage from a Roman Shipwreck off the Israeli Coast

Underwater excavation of a shipwreck‐site off Hof Carmel, south of Haifa, Israel, yielded numerous artefacts associated with a ship and cargo dated to the 3rd century AD. Among them were eight sewing needles: six of bronze, one of copper and one of brass. This article describes the needles including their chemical composition, discusses comparable finds from nautical and domestic contexts, and their possible uses and roles aboard a Roman ship.     

Roman military copper‐alloy artefacts from Israel: questions of organization and ethnicity*

The published analyses of Roman military copper‐alloy metalwork from Masada are complimented by additional ICP‐AES analyses of material from Gamla enabling further discussion of alloying trends and presenting new insights into the organization of the Roman military and the cultural specificity of brass technology.     

WARFARE AND ITS AFTERMATH AS REFLECTED IN THE PRECIOUS METAL COINAGE OF BELGIC GAUL

Summary. This paper is concerned with aspects of the Roman Conquest of Belgic Gaul in the first century BC which might be discerned through the study of the precious metal coinages issued by the indigenous inhabitants. Die studies are used as a basis for quantifying the output of the wartime coinages in relation to their predecessors, and the probable impact of the war in terms of the quantities of valuables which were permanently removed from circulation. The continued striking and use of native coinage after the war is also discussed and the material evaluated as a source of information on political arrangements and social conditions in the period preceding the implementation of Augustus'administrative reforms.     

The Rasulid Sultan al-Malik al-Man⋅ūr and the mint of Mabyan

The coinage of the first Rasulid sultan of the Yemen, al-Malik al-Mansūr, is discussed, with special attention to the production of his mint at Mabyan during the early years of his reign.     

云南香格里拉迪庆藏族自治州博物馆藏币的科学分析

为了解西藏钱币的制作工艺,采用金相显微镜组织观察和扫描电子显微镜分析的方法,对云南香格里拉迪庆藏族自治州博物馆收藏的五枚藏币样品进行分析。分析结果表明,五枚藏币可以分作两类,一类为铜质,一类为银铜合金。铜质钱币为含铜率高达99%,可以判定为纯铜制品;银铜合金币的配比基本符合"银八铜二"的合金化的要求。五枚钱币全部采用机械冲压制作,符合当时社会的生产动力变化。本研究成果对进一步研究西藏地区钱币的工艺技术有一定价值。