ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MAY/JUNE 2024 21 This archaeometallurgical article describes the study of a 5-peseta Spanish silver coin minted in 1870 (Fig. 1). The objective of this research is to metallographically study this piece that belongs to the San Carlos Historical Fort Museum, located in the Uco Valley in the province of Mendoza, Argentina. The study was initially carried out in the museum, starting first with a gentle cleaning. Next, images of the coin were taken and some historical data available in the museum was shared. Then, the metallographic structure was observed using a portable microscope. Finally, permission was given to move the coin and analyze it with the scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) to obtain the chemical composition and image mapping. With this research, an ARCHAEOMETALLURGICAL AND NUMISMATIC STUDIES OF A 5-PESETA SILVER COIN FROM 1870 A metallographic study of a Spanish silver coin verifies its authenticity and solidifies a collaboration between museum and university. Patricia Silvana Carrizo,* Materials Institute of Applied Technology, National Technological University Mendoza Regional Faculty, Argentina Fig. 1 — The 5-peseta silver coin from 1870 under investigation: (a) Prior to cleaning; (b) obverse; and (c) inverse. *Member of ASM International hated, and idolized. The history of the peseta is, to a large extent, the history of Spanish men and women as well. Until 1868 in Spain there were several mints (Seville, Segovia, Barcelona, and Madrid) that served the entire national territory. In 1869, the provisional government decided to close the mint houses and centralize all existing production in Madrid. This change resulted in the nucleus of what later became and still remains the National Mint and Stamp Factory-Royal Mint House, which has been linked to the peseta as a monetary system since its inception. THE FIRST COINS From the first minting in 1869 until its replacement by the euro, pesetas have had different values, sizes, metals important contribution is made not only in terms of the technical data of the piece itself, but also to the Museum of the Historic Fort of San Carlos by verifying the authenticity of the historical piece. Now the piece can be exhibited with reliable data that is the result of this unique collaboration between the university and the museum. HISTORY OF THE PESETA On October 19, 1868, by decree of the provisional government formed after the overthrow of Queen Isabella II, the peseta was born as a monetary unit. The 134 years in which the peseta defined the economy of Spain have seen kings, artists, and conquerors shape the country’s identity. Likewise, the peseta has become a key piece of popular iconography: longed for, (a) (b) (c)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTYyMzk3NQ==