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Author Topic: Roman?  (Read 6916 times)
dingdong
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« Reply #15 on: June 11, 2015, 05:39:11 PM »

Cheers Cwmry,and thanks for answering my question,so,if I start off detecting at Pembroke castle, which route do you recommend,and do you think the Romans stopped off at MacDonalds at Merlin's bridge or do you think they circumcised the round-bout and marched straight on to the castle in Haverford West...LOL👍
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Cymro
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« Reply #16 on: June 11, 2015, 06:29:27 PM »

Of course they wouldn't have stopped off at McDonalds - they'd have gone to Richleys for some warm underwear and then to Aldi for their groceries . . .  Grin

Me?

If I was looking for Roman in Pembrokeshire I'd be looking around Neyland. Natural harbour and a safe haven - and there's still enough open land around there to be accessible.

Just my take on things . . .  Wink
« Last Edit: June 11, 2015, 07:05:56 PM by Cymro » Logged
probono
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« Reply #17 on: June 12, 2015, 09:08:08 AM »

I'm glad you recognised the jokes for what they were. probono  Wink

We can get a good guesstimate of the coin's composition from its weight - we can find its weight and volume, and thence the density of the material so we would know if it was zinc, at least. If it were plated, what would the core be - bronze? Not iron, I'd guess, or it wouldn't be in such good condition after nearly 2000 years.

As suggested, least destructive first.



Hi Cymro - for my sins I have a degree in Metallurgy Smiley - when I said Iron pan, I meant on the outside of the coin, not the inside - fouree are usually (but not always) bronze on the inside, but the core will only corrode if there is a break in the plating (which only needs to be a pin hole).

I've cleaned about 20 silver coins this week, and as a roman collector, I come across quite a few 'zinc' / 'limes' coins - I'm pretty sure this one isn't zinc. Of course you could find the density of the coin, but it will be affected by the concretions on the outside (which will effectively lower the density) - I admit that my father tried calculating the density of an Athenian Tetradrachm I have some years ago (and he's a proper chemist) and he got it wrong......I'd probably be able to get a better measure at work, but they don't like silver contamination..........

Anyway, it will be good to see the coin when you have done what you will do to it.
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Cymro
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« Reply #18 on: June 12, 2015, 11:40:06 AM »

I do know what you meant by 'iron pan' - I looked it up yesterday Wink Just didn't know what the base material would be for plating.

I must take the time to find out how their coins were made - it would be helpful. I realise that it would be difficult to obtain the exact density, but as silver has about one and a half times the density of zinc it *should* be possible to make an educated guess. One which would be discernible even by my wife's Weight Watcher's digital scales . . . Order of magnitude sort of thing.

Thanks again for your guidance; I promise I'll go nowhere near the coin, since I didn't find it. That was my detecting partner, and it will be he who does anything to it - I don't want that responsibility.

I am but the conduit . . .  Wink

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« Reply #19 on: June 12, 2015, 12:03:50 PM »

I think your pretty safe in taking the coin as being good silver (loads of the stuff in circulation under Hadrian) but if testing Probono doesn't mean the centre would be zinc only that it could be alloyed with it, the Romans didn't have metallic zinc in fact no one did until the medieval but they did use calamine to make brass Wink
« Last Edit: June 12, 2015, 12:14:20 PM by Chef Geoff » Logged
Cymro
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« Reply #20 on: June 12, 2015, 12:12:25 PM »

Ahhhh . . .

Comprehension dawns . . .  Smiley

The area I live in is riddled with Roman activity (if not artifacts . . . ) and there was a calamine calcining works less than half a mile from where I sit. Described in the 1700s as being very old.

Who knows?
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probono
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« Reply #21 on: June 12, 2015, 12:24:40 PM »

I think your pretty safe in taking the coin as being good silver (loads of the stuff in circulation under Hadrian) but if testing Probono doesn't mean the centre would be zinc only that it could be alloyed with it, the Romans didn't have metallic zinc in fact no one did until the medieval but they did use calamine to make brass Wink

According to wikipedia there was metallic zinc in India from the 6th century BC, but it also says it was unknown to Europe at this time.

I know that as a by product of lead production you sometimes get pure zinc forming as droplets on the furnace walls.

It's a known thing to call the false, non-silver denarii that seem quite common (one of our members Hammerd found one the other day for instance) 'zinc' - but i confess I don't actually know what they are made from - probably potin would be a good suggestion.

I've found that the plated / non-plated types of coins can be quite close in weight - and without properly calibrated, precise scales (ours in work are to at least 1/1000 g) the error in calculation is great - and that's before you try and work out the volume of the coin.......
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Cymro
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« Reply #22 on: June 12, 2015, 12:59:51 PM »


I've found that the plated / non-plated types of coins can be quite close in weight - and without properly calibrated, precise scales (ours in work are to at least 1/1000 g) the error in calculation is great - and that's before you try and work out the volume of the coin.......


Enough already - you win Grin
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dingdong
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MAD COWS EAT METAL DETECTORISTS !!!🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂


« Reply #23 on: June 12, 2015, 04:28:21 PM »

No,no,no,no,no,cleaning coins,what's all the fuss!!
I put  the coins in,pour in a bucket of sand, shut the door,and put it on longest program on "TUMBLE DRY"
Brings em up a great,well that is if you can find em(ever again)!!!!!LOL😟
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Cymro
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« Reply #24 on: June 12, 2015, 06:38:26 PM »

Hmmm - doing it on an industrial scale eh . . . ?

(see what I did there . . .?)

I like that, but fear the DW Mafia  Undecided
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Chef Geoff
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« Reply #25 on: June 12, 2015, 07:21:21 PM »

Correction it's not the Mafia it's the DW inquisition you should fear Wink
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Cymro
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« Reply #26 on: June 12, 2015, 10:13:54 PM »

Not . . . . . . the DW Inquisition . . . . ??

I've heard that any man will confess to heresy after the DW Inquisition has done terrible, unspeakable, things with their pinpointing probes in their deep, dank dungeons.

I've heard that if a man comes out of those dungeons alive, he can never walk the same or sit in comfort again . . .

Please . . . not the . . . DW Inquisition . . . . "gulp"

<<runs and hides . . . >>
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Dryland
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« Reply #27 on: June 12, 2015, 11:10:22 PM »

NO, thats just what happens to newbies on the 2 day rally, the inqisition is WORSE Huh Huh
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If money is the root of all evil,why can't we spend parsnips ?
dingdong
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MAD COWS EAT METAL DETECTORISTS !!!🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂🐂


« Reply #28 on: June 13, 2015, 06:04:11 PM »

Cheers buddy,I must get the read,does it give the co- ordinates ?...LOL👍
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