I have an example of early type lydian "lion head" trite with realy big "alien metall" inclusion. Big enought to catch it for spectral analizes. This is a real scarce opportunity because this "alien" grains are somewhere in range 0.01-0.1 mm. This one is about 0.5 mm. So, I know for shure the metal of this inclusion on the basis of analise. Please, trying to guess, and after some time I'll give a correct answer
I'm not sure which it is but I guess you are, since you tested it. It is probably easier to rule out some of the metals in your list: aluminum, lead, and tin have melting points significantly below gold and silver (two primary metals in electrum), so you probably wouldn't see discrete lumps of those. From your list, that leaves platinum, palladium, iridium, and iron. It's the wrong color for iron. Perhaps it could be narrowed further with knowledge of the typical metals found in the area where this coin was made. I'm going to take a wild guess and say iridium
I'll follow @TIF's lead and guess platinum from her remaining list. Iridium would be cool since it was the basis of proof for the K/T comet/meteor strike that finally drove the dinosaurs to extinction.
Platinum or palladium is probably the smart choice since they are known components of much electrum. I don't remember if iridium is commonly found in ancient electrum alloys.
@TIF you are amazing! At one step make my list of variants shorter twice As you can see my trite the same dies with yours. I do very love this earliest type with 4-rays sun and do not want any other variant. I'll post a correct answer tomorrow...
If it were metallic aluminum appearing in anything made before the 19th century, it would be really big news...
it could be iridium, that' is a "alien" metal since it comes from meteors. i guess i'm on TIFS wagon.
Dear CT Members, so, now the time to give an answer on this puzzle. When I bring it for spectrum analises I have been sure it is a platinum. But the result was completely unexpected for me and for guy who has made analises too.... so..... bam-bam-bam-bam...... this is an iron (Fe). Without any traces of oxidation - this is pure iron. When I come back home I take a books and read that for electrum from nature one of the widespread components - is an iron. For alluvial electrum it is commom to have a traces of tin (of caurce it can not be grain of tin as TIF mention above) and this trite brings a traces of Sn. So, it is without any doubts originates from alluvial electrum from Pactolus (as we all know for shure without spectrum analises). But I was really surprised and first time at life have seen a pure iron without oxidation.
But... how? In firm contact with electrum, and exposed to the environment, it should have dissolved away in weeks from galvanic corrosion!
I do not know how... I am not a chemistry specialist... But at analises results this is an iron. They are trying to "shoot" a points near inclusion and there was a usual electrum and only at this point was an iron spectrum jump. So, this is a fact - it is a piece of iron.
