Abstract
40 Sasanian silver coins of the emperor Khusro II (591–628) belonging to the Coin Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) as well as 188 coins of the same emperor acquired at the free coin market were analyzed using micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis (μ-XRF) in the course of the research project “Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum”. These studies revealed the presence of mercury in the XRF spectra of a bigger part of the coins. First investigations with complementary techniques showed that the mercury is present as a surface layer. Therefore, further detailed studies were performed on polished sections using the Particle Induced X-ray Emission technique with a proton microprobe (μ-PIXE) that offers quantitative and spatially resolved elemental information with micron resolution, scanning micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) analyses for a better understanding of the elemental distribution on the surface and polished sections of the coins and finally confocal micro-XRF (3D μ-XRF or CMXRF) analyses for revealing information on the surface layering and elemental in-depth distribution. The synergistic application of these methods offered detailed and improved information on the structure of the mercury-layer on the surface of the silver coins supporting assumptions dating back to 1976/78 indicating medical treatments using Hg as basis for this phenomenon.
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