Analysis of Roman Silver Coins, Augustus to Nero (27 BC - AD 69)

"... In 2001 funding was obtained from the Leverhulme Trust (Grant No. RF&G/6/2002/0336) and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Research Committee and the University Research Board of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon to undertake a one year project to apply this methodology to the coinage of the first Imperial dynasty, that of the Julio-Claudians. A more sensitive analytical technique was employed, inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), that enabled much better quality data for important trace elements, such as arsenic, tin and bismuth, to be obtained. These data, together with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-analysis (SEM-EDS), optical microscopy (metallography) and some limited lead isotope analysis by laser ablation multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) form the basis of a series of publications in print (Butcher and Ponting 2005a), in press (Butcher and Ponting 2005b) and in preparation..."