Electrochemical discrimination of mints: The last Chinese emperors Kuang Hsü and Hsüan T'ung monetary unification

Abstract

An electrochemical methodology for discriminating monetary emissions, a recurrent problem in much archaeological studies, is introduced. The method is based on the record of voltammetric signatures of cuprite and tenorite corrosion products in the patina using a minimally invasive nanosampling following the voltammetry of immobilized particles methodology. A model for the depth variation of voltammetric electrochemical parameters characterizing the composition of the corrosion patinas is presented. This model permits to rationalize electrochemical data and discriminate different monetary emissions. The application of this technique, corroborated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and focusing ion beam-field emission scanning electron microscopy (FIB-FESEM-EDX), to a series of 10 cash copper coins produced around the Kuang Hsu and Hsüan T’ung last Chinese emperors permits to discern different provincial mints and reveals that the monetary unification developed in this period was not uniform.