Microchemical investigation of Greek and Roman silver and gold plated coins: coating techniques and corrosion mechanism

Within the framework of a project financially supported by the European Commission (contract Nr. 509126, acronym PROMET) the metallurgical techniques used by Romans and Greeks for coating the copper core of coins with a thin or thick layer of gold or silver are studied by means of the combined use of scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and optical microscopy (OM) techniques. This approach is utilised to gain further insight into the micro-chemical structure of the external regions of the coins as well as into the bulk metallurgical features. The results indicate that several methods were used by the Greek and Roman craftsmen including the mechanical application of a thin malleable gold or silver foils to be welded via thermal treatment. The analytical approach is also used for investigating the corrosion products grown on the coins during the long-term burial and for identifying degradation mechanisms.