1. Surface manipulation techniques of Roman denarii
- Author
-
Graham F. Peaslee, Khachatur V. Manukyan, Edward Stech, Mark Raddell, Michael Wiescher, Cecilia Fasano, and Ashabari Majumdar
- Subjects
Materials science ,business.industry ,Scanning electron microscope ,Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy ,General Physics and Astronomy ,X-ray fluorescence ,02 engineering and technology ,Surfaces and Interfaces ,General Chemistry ,Particle-induced X-ray emission ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Condensed Matter Physics ,01 natural sciences ,0104 chemical sciences ,Surfaces, Coatings and Films ,Characterization (materials science) ,Optics ,Transmission electron microscopy ,0210 nano-technology ,business ,Spectroscopy ,Nanoscopic scale - Abstract
This work presents results of macro, micro, and nanoscale surface characterization for a set of Roman denarii, ranging from 136 BCE to 240 CE, using large-scale X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping, particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) spectroscopy, focused-ion-beam-assisted scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The combination of XRF and PIXE, with varying beam energies, allowed for visualization and quantification of individual elements as a function of the surface distribution. These results helped to select suitable areas for FIB-SEM-EDS analysis. The edges of selected coins were polished to image the inner composition and surface morphology of the coins using a backscattering electron (BSE) imaging method and EDS mapping. Nanosized lamellas extracted from the coins were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well. The combination of these methods enabled the surface, the subsurface, and volume composition of these coins to be probed to better understand their production methods, their surface treatment methods, and their corrosion. The results also provide evidence that a particular surface treatment method, amalgam silvering, had been used to make authentic Roman coins as early as the third century CE.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF