Analysis of Roman Silver coins, Augustus to the reform of Trajan (27 BC - AD 100)

Matthew Ponting, Kevin Butcher, 2005. (updated 2015) https://doi.org/10.5284/1035238. How to cite using this DOI

Digital Object Identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are persistent identifiers which can be used to consistently and accurately reference digital objects and/or content. The DOIs provide a way for the ADS resources to be cited in a similar fashion to traditional scholarly materials. More information on DOIs at the ADS can be found on our help page.

Citing this DOI

The updated Crossref DOI Display guidelines recommend that DOIs should be displayed in the following format:

https://doi.org/10.5284/1035238
Sample Citation for this DOI

Matthew Ponting, Kevin Butcher (2015) Analysis of Roman Silver coins, Augustus to the reform of Trajan (27 BC - AD 100) [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1035238

Data copyright © Dr Matthew Ponting, Kevin Butcher unless otherwise stated

This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Creative Commons License


Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) logo
Leverhulme Trust logo

Primary contact

Dr Matthew Ponting
School of Archaeology, Classics & Egyptology
University of Liverpool
Hartley Building
Brownlow Street
Liverpool
L69 3GS
UK
Tel: 0151 7944393

Send e-mail enquiry

Resource identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers

Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are persistent identifiers which can be used to consistently and accurately reference digital objects and/or content. The DOIs provide a way for the ADS resources to be cited in a similar fashion to traditional scholarly materials. More information on DOIs at the ADS can be found on our help page.

Citing this DOI

The updated Crossref DOI Display guidelines recommend that DOIs should be displayed in the following format:

https://doi.org/10.5284/1035238
Sample Citation for this DOI

Matthew Ponting, Kevin Butcher (2015) Analysis of Roman Silver coins, Augustus to the reform of Trajan (27 BC - AD 100) [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1035238

University of Liverpool logo

Overview

Introduction

The dataset made available here consists of the numismatic descriptions of all the coins analysed, pictures of the coins themselves and the ICP-AES and AAS analyses of each coin. For a subset of the coins lead isotope data are also available.

Methods

Samples were taken using either a 0.5mm or a 0.8mm steel twist drill, and the turnings were collected after discarding the first millimetre or so to avoid the altered surface material.

The analysis was by AAS using a Perkin Elmer 3110 instrument and ICP-AES using a Perkin Elmer Optima DV3000 series instrument. Two solutions were prepared; one using approx. 2mg of the drilled sample, the other using approx. 10mg of the sample. The first solution was dissolved in conc. nitric acid and was analysed for silver and copper only by AAS. The second solution was prepared using aqua regia and was analysed for copper and all minor and trace elements by ICP-AES.

The analysis was conducted in batches of fifty samples, with standard solutions to monitor instrumental drift inserted after every ten samples and a certified standard reference material (either BAM211 or a specially prepared silver/copper alloy, later Ag5 (IONFM, Gliwice), depending which solutions were being analysed) at the beginning and end of each batch.

The lead isotope analyses were conducted by the NERC Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory (Keyworth, Nottinghamshire) under the supervision of Dr. Jane Evans.

Available data

  • Sample ref  The project reference for each sample/coin.
  • Hoard  The hoard from which the coin came, where relevant.
  • Donor  The name of the Museum or collection from which the coin came.
  • Emperor  The Emperor under whom the coin was struck.
  • Named  The name of the person in whose name the coin was struck.
  • Denomination  the name of the coin denomination (drachm, tetradrachm etc.)
  • Type  The numismatic description of the coin (obverse and reverse types and legend)
  • Donor Ref  The reference for the coin in the donors collection (where relevant).
  • Mint  The name of the place of striking.
  • Weight  The weight of the coin in grams, only recorded for coins where this serves as the donor reference.
  • Comments  Comments specific to the coin; if the coin has been subject to SEM-EDS analysis or if the coin was corroded. Also includes references for the denarii of Nero to be found in Mac Dowall, D. 1979 ‘The Western Coinages of Nero’ New York.
  • Reference  Catalogue references:
    • RIC:  volume I of 'Roman Imperial Coinage' (C. Sutherland) London, 1984.
    • BMC:  volume I of 'Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum' (H. Mattingly) London, 1923.
    • RPC:  Roman Provincial Coinage: From the Death of Caesar to the Death of Vitellius (44 B.C.-A.D.69) vol. 1. (P. Ripolles, A. Burnett and M. Amandry) London, 1992.
    • MILNE:  Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins in the Ashmolean Museum. (J.G. Milne), Oxford, 1927.
    • CRE:  Catalogue of Coins of the Roman Empire in the Ashmolean Museum, Part I. Augustus, (Sutherland C. H. V. and Kraay C. M.) Oxford 1975.
  • Chemical elements (14 columns)  weight percent
  • Bullion  The estimated percentage of silver bullion, calculated as the sum of elemental silver, gold, lead and bismuth.
  • Lead isotope ratios (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb). Not all coins were analysed by this technique.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) (Grant No. 119434) and the Leverhulme Trust (Grant No. RF∓G/6/2002/0336) for generously funding the majority of the research presented here. The Research Committee of the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Research Committee and the University Research Board of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon are also owed thanks for additional funding and support during the lifetime of this project.

Christopher Somerfield of the School of Chemical, Environmental and Mining Engineering, Nottingham University, facilitated access to ICP-AES equipment and deserves particular thanks for his continued support and enthusiasm during difficult times.

Jane Evans and Vanessa Pashley kindly undertook more than 100 lead isotope determinations at the NERC Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory.

Special thanks (in no particular order) are owed to those curators who gave their consent for coins to be sampled: (for the denarii) to Jonathan Williams and Richard Abdy of the British Museum; Keith Sugden of The Manchester Museum; John Davies of Norwich Castle Museum; Benedikt Zäch of the Münzkabinett Winterthur; Peter Robinson of Doncaster Museum; Jenny Hall of The Museum of London; Steven Minnitt of Taunton Castle Museum; Philip Wise of Colchester Castle Museum; Gail Boyle of Bristol City Museum; Brett Thorn of Buckinghamshire Museums; Jyrki Muona from Helsinki, Finland; Ian Carradice from The University of St. Andrews, and, for the provincial issues, to Christopher Howgego and Volker Heuchert (Ashmolean Museum), William Metcalf (Yale Museum), Michel Prieur, Rick Witschonke and Bruno van der Pluijm.


ADS logo
Data Org logo
University of York logo