Application of the Green Technique for the Archaeometric Study of Sasanian Silver Coins Housed in Batman Museum

ABSTRACT In this study, 30 silver coins from the Sasanian Empire—acquired through various means and added to the inventory of the Batman Museum Directorate between 2020 and 2021—were subjected to archaeometric analysis. The chemical characterization of the coins was carried out using a portable energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometer (P‐EDXRF), a green analytical technique that enables rapid, in situ, and nondestructive elemental analysis. The P‐EDXRF results revealed the chemical composition and alloy ratios of the coins. The data were evaluated to investigate the proportional variation in precious metal content in Sasanian coinage over the lifespan of the empire. On average, the coins were found to contain approximately 93.22% silver (% RSD = 2.65), followed by 4.07% copper (% RSD = 3.06). Trace elements detected included 0.67% gold (% RSD = 3.65), 0.97% lead (% RSD = 3.64), 0.18% bismuth (% RSD = 2.98), 0.78% iron (% RSD = 3.02), 0.13% manganese (% RSD = 4.34), 0.35% germanium (% RSD = 4.76), and 2.38% tin (% RSD = 3.09). These findings provide valuable insights into the economic and metallurgical practices of the Sasanian Empire, shedding light on coin minting technologies and the sourcing of precious metals.