A Petrographic Analysis of the Israel Museum Coin Mold

Abstract

Presented here are the results of a petrographic analysis of a small sample from a fragment
of a coin-casting mold in the Israel Museum collection (IM 2017.46.37389). The aim of the
study was to characterize the raw material from which the object is made and attempt to
indicate the artifact’s possible provenance. Our analyses have shown that the object is made
of gypsum mortar with an addition of carbonates — lime (with terra rossa clasts) and almost
monomineral aggregates of quartz. This type of raw material is common in the Mediterranean
region, especially in its eastern part.