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PUBLICATIONS

Chemical Attribution of Corroded Coins Using X-ray Fluorescence and Lead Isotope Ratios: A Case Study from First Century Judaea

Published

Author(s)

Lee L. Yu, Michael Epstein, David Hendin, Nathan Bower

Abstract

ICP-MS and XRF analyses were conducted on Judean coins from the first century BCE and CE in order to determine the efficacy and limits of these methods for analyses of artifacts with and without adhering corrosion. An outstanding question about the dating of Herod Agrippa I or II "canopy" coins that has archaeological significance to Biblical historians is used as a case study. Multiple lines of evidence support attribution of this coin to Agrippa I with a 41 to 45 CE date.
Citation
Applied Spectroscopy
Volume
64
Issue
4
Pub Type
Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1366/000370210791114211
Local Download

Keywords

Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, X-ray fluorescence, Lead isotope ratio, Bronze Artifact Corrosion, Numismatics
Chemistry

Citation

Yu, L. , Epstein, M. , Hendin, D. and Bower, N. (2010), Chemical Attribution of Corroded Coins Using X-ray Fluorescence and Lead Isotope Ratios: A Case Study from First Century Judaea, Applied Spectroscopy, [online], https://doi.org/10.1366/000370210791114211, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=904300 (Accessed October 10, 2025)

Issues

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Created April 10, 2010, Updated September 28, 2022
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