M. Járó - L. Költő szerk.: Archaeometrical research in Hungary (Budapest, 1988)
Analysis - GEGUS Ernő, BAKOS Miklós: Laser-microspectrochemical analysis of some Hungarian gold coins
LASER-MICROSPECTROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF SOME HUNGARIAN GOLD COINS At the request of the Hungarian National Museum, 15 Hungarian gold coins (12 miscellaneous gold florins, one 1/4 florin coin of King Matthias II and two mediaeval Hungarian gold coins of uncertain origin) were examined by means of laser-microspectrochemical analysis described earlier [1]. Some data of the coins examined are presented in Table 1. The reference numbers are given according to Huszár's „Münzkatalog" [2] and to the Corpus Nummorum Hungáriáé [3,4]. Table 1 Some data of the gold coins examined Item King and denomination Reference number Mass, 8 Density, g/cm 3 Inventory or code number, re.p. 1 Louis I. 1 florin HJ12,CNH.II.62 3.509 n.m. MA 1 2 Louis I. 1 florin H.512,CNH.II.62 3.492 19.1 MA 2 3 Sigismund 1 florin H572,CNH.II.118 3.507 19.2 MNMÉ Sz.I.77.24 4 Sigismund 1 florin H572.CNHJI.118 3.530 n.m. MNMÉ 20B,900-2 5 Sigismund 1 florin H572.CNH.II.118 3.522 192 MNMÉ 3B/903-72 6 Sigismund 1 florin H573,CNH.H.119A 3.453 run. MA 3 7 Sigismund 1 florin H-573,CNH.H.119A 3.460 nm. MA 4 8 Matthias I. 1 florin H.674,CNH.n.204A 3.525 18.6 MA 5 9 Matthias I. 1florin H.674 var, CNH.II.204A var. 3.275 18.5 MA 6 10 Matthias I. 1 florin H.680,CNH.H.208A 3.549 18.4 MA 7 11 Matthias I. 1 florin H.684.CNH.1I.208E 3.578 njn. MA 8 12 Wladislas II. 1 florin H.761.CNH.II.255L 3.491 run. MA 9 13 Matthias II. 1/4 florin H.1091.CNH.III.191 0534 nm. MA 10 14 Mediaeval Hungarian gold coin unpublished 4.52 nm. MNMÉ 81-A/1906 15 Mediaeval Hungarian gold coin unpublished 4.52 run. MNMÉ 17B/1909-16 Key to the sign used: n.m. = not measured The results of the analyses are presented in Table 2. A remarkable feature is the occurrence of palladium in some coins as a trace element. This might well indicate the Byzantine origin of the gold processed because, according to earlier investigations [5,6], only the gold of Asia Minor contains Pt, Pd, Os and Ir as trace elements in the form of mixed crystals. This is also confirmed by our analyses concerning 42 solidi of 4th century minted in Constantinopohs: Pt and Pd were found in every coin as trace elements [7]. In order to clarify the problem of whether the metal of some mediaeval Hungarian gold coins is of Byzantine origin, further investigations would be necessary. * Research Group of Analytical Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-8201 Veszprém, P.O.B. 158 * Veszprém University of Chemical Engineering H-8201 Veszprém, P.O.B. 158
