47917
Accession Number
15028
Title Of Article Chaper
Chemical composition of Alexandrian tetradrachms
Title Of Journal Book
Centennial Publication of the American Numismatic Society
Pages
167-179
Publisher
New York
Literature Type
Serial
Literature Level
Analytic
Abstract
Many tetradrachms of Alexandria have been assayed for their silver content but very few have been properly analyzed for the various components present in the alloys. Fourteen new gravimetric analyses are given of representative speci mens ranging in date from the time of Claudius to the timeof Aurelian. The silver content was found to range from 23.04% in the earliest coin to 1.43% in the latest. The principal component was copper, but small proportions of gold, tin, lead, iron, nickel, and zinc were present in all the coins. Various conclusions are drawn from the analytical data, including the probable composition of the copper used in the preparation of the alloys. -- AATA
pub_id
47917