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

Abstract

Nondestructive analyses using a quadrupole inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-QMS) and polarizing, multi-target, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (PEDXRF) with three-dimensional optics were conducted on Judean coins from the first century BCE and CE to determine the efficacy and limits of these methods for numismatic analyses of coins with a patina. Comparisons with destructive analyses and literature databases demonstrate their value even when corrosion is present. An outstanding question about the dating of Herod Agrippa I or II "canopy" coins that has significance to Biblical historians is used as a case study. Multiple lines of evidence attribute this coin to Agrippa I, with a date of 41 to 45 CE, produced using Faynan (Feinan), Jordan, and Cyprus ores.