Abstract
This paper presents fresh interpretations of 160 lead isotope analyses of Archaic Greek coins on the OXALID database based on new data for ore sources in Spain, Sardinia, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey and Iran. It demonstrates that the earliest minters used far more diverse metal sources than the literary evidence suggests, and engaged in what could be described as opportunistic minting. Some currently held views on the importance of Siphnian silver, Peisistratid access to Thracian silver, the sources of Aiginetan, Thasian and Chian silver, the use of gold and tin as tracers for Siphnian and Lavrion silver, and the mixing of silver are challenged. Thoughts are offered on how archaic minting drove intensification of mining.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Metallurgy in Numismatics 6 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Mines, Metals and Money: Ancient World Studies in Science, Archaeology and History |
| Editors | Kenneth A. Sheedy, Gillan Davis |
| Place of Publication | London |
| Publisher | The Royal Numismatic Society |
| Chapter | 8 |
| Pages | 87-100 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| ISBN (Print) | 090140537X, 0901405355 |
| Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Lead isotope analysis
- Archaic Greek coins
- OXALID
- Laurion
- Siphnos
- Chemical analysis
- Thrace