Comparison of PIXE and XRF in the analysis of silver denarii of the early Piast

Abstract

The collection of denarii from the time of development of a Polish medieval state was studied using the proton induced X-ray emission spectroscopy. The major elements detected for these denarii are Ag and Cu, while minor elements such as Pb, Fe, Au, Bi, and Zn may also be present. The aim of the study was to cross-compare the results with a previous micro-X-ray fluorescence data and to perform a better quantification of the denarii elemental composition, especially for trace elements, providing suggestions of the origin of alloy compounds.