A multi-technique investigation of the incuse coinage of Magna Graecia

Abstract This paper focuses on the application of different neutron techniques to characterize the manufacturing process of ‘incuse’ coins minted by Greek colonies in Southern Italy during the 6th and 5th centuries BC. In order to provide an insight into incuse coinage minting, numismatic and historical studies were combined with metallurgical research based on non-destructive neutron diffraction, neutron texture analysis and neutron tomography. The most significant scientific data collected during our campaign of investigation will be showcased.

[1]  John L. Campbell,et al.  Complete Casting Handbook: Metal Casting Processes, Metallurgy, Techniques and Design , 2011 .

[2]  Mark R. Daymond,et al.  NON‐DESTRUCTIVE INVESTIGATION OF BRONZE ARTEFACTS FROM THE MARCHES NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY USING NEUTRON DIFFRACTION* , 2006 .

[3]  V. Luzin,et al.  Attenuation Corrections in Neutron Texture Experiment , 2002 .

[4]  E. Lehmann,et al.  Application of X-Ray and Neutron Tomography to Study Antique Greek Bronze Coins with a High Lead Content , 2012 .

[5]  M. Hagen,et al.  Echidna—the new high-resolution powder diffractometer being built at OPAL , 2006 .

[6]  G. Artioli.  Crystallographic texture analysis of archaeological metals: interpretation of manufacturing techniques , 2007 .

[7]  Manuel Dierick,et al.  Octopus, a fast and user-friendly tomographic reconstruction package developed in LabView® , 2004 .

[8]  B. Bozzini,et al.  MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF EARLY WESTERN GREEK INCUSE COINS , 2005 .

[9]  S. Siano,et al.  Applications of TOF neutron diffraction in archaeometry , 2006 .

[10]  Ulf Garbe,et al.  A New Neutron Radiography / Tomography / Imaging Station DINGO at OPAL☆ , 2015 .

[11]  W. Kockelmann,et al.  NON-DESTRUCTIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF OLD SOUTH ARABIAN COINS, FOURTH CENTURY BCE TO THIRD CENTURY CE , 2011 .

[12]  V. Luzin,et al.  The Strain-Scanning Diffractometer Kowari , 2009 .

[13]  E. H. Lehmann,et al.  NEUTRON TOMOGRAPHY AS A VALUABLE TOOL FOR THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS OF HISTORICAL BRONZE SCULPTURES , 2010 .

[14]  Hai-Yen Nguyen,et al.  Computed Tomography for the Non-Destructive Imaging of Cultural Heritage: X-Ray, Gamma and Neutron Sources , 2011 .

[15]  H. Wenk,et al.  Texture analysis of ancient coins with TOF neutron diffraction , 2004 .

[16]  F. Grazzi,et al.  Characterization of bronze Roman coins of the fifth century called nummi through different analytical techniques , 2013 .

[17]  V. Luzin,et al.  Neutron tomographic analysis: Material characterization of silver and electrum coins from the 6th and 5th centuries BCE , 2016 .

[18]  Francesco Grazzi,et al.  Compositional and microstructural characterization of Celtic silver coins from northern Italy using neutron diffraction analysis , 2016 .

[19]  H. Bilheux,et al.  Evaluation of segregation in Roman sestertius coins , 2018, Journal of Materials Science.

[20]  H. Schober,et al.  Neutron Applications in Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences , 2009 .