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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2255001, member: 56859&quot;]I read the paper, although not with complete understanding of some passages due to not having read the cited reference papers and not having knowledge of mining and extraction methods.</p><p><br /></p><p>I wonder why their sample size was so tiny?&nbsp; Those Sassanid drachms are available in massive quantities.&nbsp; Maybe they were limited to coins with documented find locations?&nbsp; Still, I&#039;d think there would be considerably more available for nondestructive study.&nbsp; The resulting graph looks pretty but it seems premature to draw conclusions when only one or a few coins per emperor or mint were studied.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for the data&#039;s utility in identifying fakes, Doug already mentioned the biggest problem.</p><p><br /></p><p>Kurt-- can you tell me more about the detection depth of XRF?&nbsp; I wonder how accurately it detects a coin&#039;s true composition if the coin has been cleaned.&nbsp; For instance, if you clean an Ag-Cu alloy with acid, copper will be removed from the surface, causing the surface to have a higher apparent silver content than the interior (&quot;depletion gilding&quot;).&nbsp; The coins in this study were all soaked in formic acid. I do not know the effect it has on other elements, but it would also lead to a higher apparent percentage of gold at the surface.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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