White copper: The arsenical coinage of the Libyan revolt 241-238 BC
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Published
February 19, 2022
Abstract
Arsenic-copper alloys are not common after the Early Bronze Age. The discovery of a group of 3rd century BC coins, probably from Tunisia, with surface metal composition of up to 29% arsenic in the copper prompted this metallurgical examination. The arsenic was found to occur in greatest concentration on the coin surfaces as the result of inverse segregation during casting.
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References
I A Carradice and S La Niece: 'The Libyan War and coinage: a new hoard and the evidence of metal analysis', Numismatic Chronicle, 1988, forthcoming.
D Hanson and C B Marryat: 'Effects of impurities on copper. III and IV Arsenic' J Inst Metals, 31, 1927, 121-165.
J R Marechal: 'Properties mechaniques des cuivres a l'arsenic', Metaux, 33, 1958, 377-383.
C Renfrew: 'Cycladic Metallurgy and the Aegean Early Bronze Age', American Journal of Archaeology, 71, 1967, 1-20.
N H Gale and Z A Stos-Gale: 'Cycladic lead and silver metallurgy' in Annual of the British School of Archaeology at Athens, 16, 1981, 169-224.
J A Charles: 'Early Arsenical Bronzes - a metallurgical view', American Journal of Archaeology, 1li, 1976, 21-26.
D R Hook, A Arribus Palau, PT Craddock, F Molina and B Rothenberg: 'Copper and silver in Bronze Age Spain', in Bell Beakers of the Western Mediterranean, BAR International Series 331 (i), 1987 eds WH Waldren and R Claire Kennard, 147-158.
H McKerrell and R F Tylecote: 'The working of copper-arsenic alloys in the Early Bronze Age and the effect on the determination of provenance',
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 38, 1972, 209-218. .
J L Gregg: Arsenical and argentiferous copper, New York, 1934.
S L Archbutt and W E Prytherch: 'lnvestigation of the effects of impurities on copper. VII The effect of antimony on copper. VIII The combined effect of antimony and arsenic on copper', J Institute of Metals, XLV, i, 1931, 265-305.
F Brech and W J Young, 'The laser microprobe and its application to the analysis of works of art', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of
Art, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1967, 230-237.
C S Smith, 'An examination of the arsenic-rich coating on a bronze bull from Horoztepe', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of Art, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1970, 96-102.
P T Craddock: 'The copper alloys of Tibet and their background', in Aspects of Tibetan Metallurgy, British Museum Occasional Paper no 15, eds W A Oddy and W Zwalf, 1981, 1-32.
M S Mitchener and A Skinner: 'Contemporary forgeries of English silver coins and their chemical compositions', Numismatic Chronicle, 1985, 209-236.
M Cowell in E Besley 'The York Mint of Charles I', Appendix 4, British Numismatic Journal 54, 1984, 210-241.
Translated by ER Caley: 'The Leyden Papyrus X' J of Chemical Education, Vol 3 no 10, 1926, 1154.
M Berthelot: Collection Des Anciens Alchemists Grecs, Vol 3, translation, Paris 1883, especially 53-60.
P T Craddock: 'Three thousand years of copper alloys', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of Art, Boston, Fine Art Museum, 1985, 64.
D Hanson and W T Pell-Walpole: Chili-Cast Bronzes, London, 1951.
N D Meeks: 'Tin-rich surfaces on bronze - some experimental and archaeological considerations', Archaeometry, 28, 2, 1986, 133-162.
G F Hill: 'Ancient methods of coining', Numismatic Chronicle, 1922, 1-42.
A Williams Postei: The mineral resources of Africa, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1943.
E Halse: Antimony Ores, London, 1925.
D T Hawkins: Metals Handbook, vol 8, 1973, American Society for Metals, 8th edition, 265.
R D Heyding and JG Despault: 'The copper/arsenic system and the copper arsenide minerals', Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 38, 1960, 2477-2481.
D Hanson and C B Marryat: 'Effects of impurities on copper. III and IV Arsenic' J Inst Metals, 31, 1927, 121-165.
J R Marechal: 'Properties mechaniques des cuivres a l'arsenic', Metaux, 33, 1958, 377-383.
C Renfrew: 'Cycladic Metallurgy and the Aegean Early Bronze Age', American Journal of Archaeology, 71, 1967, 1-20.
N H Gale and Z A Stos-Gale: 'Cycladic lead and silver metallurgy' in Annual of the British School of Archaeology at Athens, 16, 1981, 169-224.
J A Charles: 'Early Arsenical Bronzes - a metallurgical view', American Journal of Archaeology, 1li, 1976, 21-26.
D R Hook, A Arribus Palau, PT Craddock, F Molina and B Rothenberg: 'Copper and silver in Bronze Age Spain', in Bell Beakers of the Western Mediterranean, BAR International Series 331 (i), 1987 eds WH Waldren and R Claire Kennard, 147-158.
H McKerrell and R F Tylecote: 'The working of copper-arsenic alloys in the Early Bronze Age and the effect on the determination of provenance',
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 38, 1972, 209-218. .
J L Gregg: Arsenical and argentiferous copper, New York, 1934.
S L Archbutt and W E Prytherch: 'lnvestigation of the effects of impurities on copper. VII The effect of antimony on copper. VIII The combined effect of antimony and arsenic on copper', J Institute of Metals, XLV, i, 1931, 265-305.
F Brech and W J Young, 'The laser microprobe and its application to the analysis of works of art', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of
Art, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1967, 230-237.
C S Smith, 'An examination of the arsenic-rich coating on a bronze bull from Horoztepe', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of Art, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1970, 96-102.
P T Craddock: 'The copper alloys of Tibet and their background', in Aspects of Tibetan Metallurgy, British Museum Occasional Paper no 15, eds W A Oddy and W Zwalf, 1981, 1-32.
M S Mitchener and A Skinner: 'Contemporary forgeries of English silver coins and their chemical compositions', Numismatic Chronicle, 1985, 209-236.
M Cowell in E Besley 'The York Mint of Charles I', Appendix 4, British Numismatic Journal 54, 1984, 210-241.
Translated by ER Caley: 'The Leyden Papyrus X' J of Chemical Education, Vol 3 no 10, 1926, 1154.
M Berthelot: Collection Des Anciens Alchemists Grecs, Vol 3, translation, Paris 1883, especially 53-60.
P T Craddock: 'Three thousand years of copper alloys', in Application of Science in Examination of Works of Art, Boston, Fine Art Museum, 1985, 64.
D Hanson and W T Pell-Walpole: Chili-Cast Bronzes, London, 1951.
N D Meeks: 'Tin-rich surfaces on bronze - some experimental and archaeological considerations', Archaeometry, 28, 2, 1986, 133-162.
G F Hill: 'Ancient methods of coining', Numismatic Chronicle, 1922, 1-42.
A Williams Postei: The mineral resources of Africa, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1943.
E Halse: Antimony Ores, London, 1925.
D T Hawkins: Metals Handbook, vol 8, 1973, American Society for Metals, 8th edition, 265.
R D Heyding and JG Despault: 'The copper/arsenic system and the copper arsenide minerals', Canadian Journal of Chemistry, 38, 1960, 2477-2481.
How to Cite
La Niece, S., & Carradice, I. (2022). White copper: The arsenical coinage of the Libyan revolt 241-238 BC. Historical Metallurgy, 23(1), 9-15. https://hmsjournal.org/index.php/home/article/view/622
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