Imitations of Roman Republican Denarii: New Metallurgical Data

This article presents the results of scientific analyses performed on nine ancient imitations of Roman Republican silver denarii, which are part of a group commonly referred to as “Geto-Dacian” imitations, and discusses the data in a broader context. The coins were dissected and analyzed for their composition in the core with synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence analysis (μ-SRXRF); their microstructure was examined with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) using backscattered electrons. Micrographs of all the cross-sections are published. The majority of the coins were found to have a high standard of fineness of more than 93% silver, which is in good agreement with the few modern analyses of this class of coinage published up to now (performed with a different analytical method, viz. atomic absorption spectrometry, AAS). The coins were also analysed for their main impurities (Au, Pb, Bi), and these data were compared with trace metal signatures of published groups of Republican denarius imitations as well as official Roman denarii.