THE USE OF SPECIFIC HEAT IN THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF SILVER/COPPER ALLOY COINS

Using partly plastic apparatus, specific heats of coins have been found calorimetricly to an accuracy of ± 3% for most coins. For silver/copper alloys the specific heat varies approximately linearly with the weight percentage composition, so the latter can be calculated for coins of unknown composition.     

近代银元和铜元铸造数量的一个简略估计

流通数量反映了银元在流通领域中的地位,但由于当时统计资料的分散,更由于地方造币厂为地方利益而滥铸、盗铸及浮报、伪造统计报表,准确详实的铸币数量极难获得,仅能依据现有资料做出一般性的大趋势估计。彭信威先生认为:清末货币总量(包括中外银元、银锭、银角、铜币、纸币等)为20·97亿银元,“全国人口若以四亿计,每人约占五元二角四分”,如果以其中30%的货币在上海流通,则上海流通货币量有6亿元。①《银行周报》认为:自光绪十五年张之洞在广东开铸银元,到1913年底时,全国共铸银元约2·2亿元,小洋约铸2·3亿元。1913年至1916年,银元共铸1…     

ION BEAM ANALYSIS OF COPPER AND COPPER ALLOY COINS

In recent years ion beam techniques have become more and more important since in most cases the analysis of copper and copper alloy coins has to be non-destructive. It is therefore of interest to study the relative advantages of several nuclear methods for a certain type of metal. The results are presented here of a comparison between three non-destructive ion beam techniques: particle induced X-ray emission, proton activation analysis and fast neutron activation analysis.     

萨珊王朝卑路斯银币之型式

前言卑路斯（457－484）是萨珊王朝中最不幸的一位帝王,他虽有想把国家治理好的抱负,可惜天灾人祸加上他对（口厌）哒的战争,不但没有振兴王朝反而使整个国家中衰,几乎遭到灭亡的命运。     

THE REMANENT MAGNETIZATION OF ANCIENT STRUCK COINS

Magnetic and other measurements are reported for the Guehenno II Gallo-Roman hoard (56-France) which, amongst several thousand Tetricus antoniniani, contains 275 coins struck with the same dies. The orientation of the remanent magnetization is systematically directed outwards from the obverse confirming the identity of the anvil die with the obverse. The magnetization vector is statistically distributed around the vertical axis giving no indication of the geomagnetic inclination at the time of striking. Consequently ancient struck coins cannot be used for dating. The origin of the remanent magnetization was also investigated.     

COMPARISON OF METHODS OF ANALYSIS OF SILVER AND GOLD IN SILVER COINS

A series of silver coins was analysed for silver and gold contents by three methods—chemical wet analysis, activation analysis and X-ray fluorescence using a point source linear spectrometer (milliprobe). The results indicate that while the X-ray fluorescence technique gives better agreement with chemical analysis for major components the use of activation analysis with automated equipment results in a considerable saving of time and has a high sensitivity for some minor components.     

THE EXCHANGES OF COPPER IN THE ANCIENT MIDDLE EAST

Introduction In Anatolia, the birth and the development of metallurgy intervened between the 9th and 3rd millenniums as well as testify the more and more frequent apparitions of metals artefacts in the inventory of the archeological objects of this period.     

DETECTION OF NEAR-SURFACE SILVER ENRICHMENT ON ROMAN IMPERIAL SILVER COINS BY X-RAY SPECTRAL ANALYSIS*

A collection of 218 Roman imperial silver coins, covering three centuries, was analysed non-destructively by two variants of X-ray spectral analysis. Electron beam excitation and energy-dispersive spectrometry was used for the analysis of the uppermost thin layer (3 μm) of each coin, while X-ray tube excitation and wavelength-dispersive spectrometry was applied for the analysis of thicker layers (30 μm), Ag and Cu as major constituents and 18 minor elements were determined quantitatively. Comparing the silver content of the obverse and the reverse of a coin, inhomogeneities could be identified. By comparison of the silver content of the upper thin and the thick surface layers, near-surface silver enrichment could be detected. Inhomogeneities and enrichments increase in the second and more so in the third century. A large scatter of the silver content and silver enrichment for coins of the same emperor was attributed to varying abrasion of Ag-enriched layers of the individual coins during decades of circulation.     

中国古钱版别研究刍议--兼论宋钱的版别

钱币版别是钱币学研究的主要内容,钱币的真伪和珍稀级别鉴定、鉴赏分类、铸行时代、流通区域的断定等,在一定程度上均以版别为基础。钱币的版别以钱币的形制、钱文、图案、金属成分、铸造技术工艺等为     

NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF ANCIENT BURMESE SILVER COINS WITH A LOW FLUX AMERICIUM/BERYLLIUM NEUTRON SOURCE

Nondestructive neutron activation analysis is by now a well-established technique for the analysis of ancient silver coins. The high activation cross-section of silver for thermal neutrons makes it possible to also use this method with the low neutron fluxes available from an isotopic neutron source. In this case due consideration must be given to minimize the self-shielding effect which is encountered with coins above a few tenths of a millimetre thickness. A simple method for the determination of the silver, copper and gold content in silver coins based on the self-shielding properties of silver alloys of different fineness is described. The method has been found to be useful for the quick routine assay of silver coins for the purpose of their classification. Seventeen ancient Burmese silver coins from three different cultural periods of Burma, and two British coins for comparison have been analyzed by this method.     

对西藏清代藏银铸币衡制与成色的疑问

衡制、平色是研究金属货币的基础和重要组成部分。关于清代西藏银币是否采用统一的货币计量衡制与平色说法不一。一说清代两藏地方政府铸造银币衡制均为中央库平,“两藏钱币自始至终所使用的衡制,与中央完全一致”。     

明代金银钱分类综论

明代是中国古代金银钱铸造较多的历史时期。据史籍记载和考古资料 ,其时官炉金银钱由内府银作局与金银矿坑冶主管部门所主铸 ,民间金银钱则由金银铺或富豪私家铸作。一、明代内府银作局铸造的金银钱史述明官制设有职掌“打造宫廷金银器饰”的“内府银作局” ,为明代宦官十二监之一 ① 。万历朝任内府司礼监要职的宦官刘若愚在其所作之记录中 ,述内府银作局事颇详。其云 :银作局“专管造金银铎针、枝个、挑杖、金银钱、金银豆、叶。……以备钦赏之用”② 。明代用内府金银钱、豆于钦赏的史录不少。如明人记述正统间“英宗初开经筵 ,每讲毕 ,…     

IRON IN ANCIENT COPPER

Analysis of early copper-base artifacts invariably reveals traces of iron. Iron enters the copper during the smelting process and the level of iron in the metalwork is an indication of the smelting technology. In areas such as Western Europe where prehistoric slag heaps are absent even in the proximity of undoubted ancient mines, the iron content is low reinforcing the link between smelting technology and iron content. Very occasionally the iron content was deliberately encouraged and alloys containing between 30% and 50% of iron in copper were made, mainly for use in currency. These alloys are without modern parallel and their metallography and method of production are considered in some detail here.