Coins Sasanian

Continued analysis of Sasanian silver objects will be directed towards (1) a detailed statistical study of the data, (2) analysis of Sasanian and Umayyad coins, (3) determination of isotope ratios of lead extracted from the silver, (4) correlation between the analytical data and stylistic information obtained from an art historical and archaeological study and with information on methods of manufacture, toolmark, etc. 

Silver Fineness. Figure 4 contains data for the silver fineness of about 400 Sasanian coins as determined by the direct (neutron Howit-... 

The data represented by the open squares in Figure 5 were obtained from streaks of modern fake Sasanian coins (4). Note that the gold levels for these fake coins are usually appreciably less than those for authentic coins. This is because silver used in the last 100 years almost always... 

Figure 5. Gold impurity levels in over 1300 Sasanian drachms. Open squares are gold levels in modern fake Sassanian coins.

On the other hand, many of those plates generally considered modern fakes were made by a repousee technique and involved an outer, plain-curved back that was folded over at the rim to form a double-walled hollow plate. Occasionally a separate (cast) piece, usually a raised front leg of the horse, was attached, probably by soldering. These fakes and copies of existing museum plates all have less than 0.6% Au in Ag (in agreement with the fake Sasanian coins, Figure 5) and 14 of the 18 fakes in Figure 6 have less than 94% Ag + Au. 

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