The initial classification of numismatic finds consists mainly in determining whether they were single finds, hoards or cumulative deposits. In the course of the last few decades the availability of metal detectors increased significantly, and more and more hoards are found by amateurs. In such situations, especially when hoards include coins, one must be very careful and all possibilities must be thoroughly considered. In such situations suitable research techniques must be employed in order to verify the genuineness of the artefacts, the coins and the containers in which they were deposited. The available research methods must be utilized to determine whether the size of the vessel matched the number of the coins recorded, if there were any coin traces inside of the vessels in which they had allegedly been deposited and if matching patina/corrosion traces occur both on the coins and in the vessels. This investigation was realized for the hoard of Prague groschen recorded in the vicinity of Wałbrzych (Lower Silesian province, Poland), which was accidentally found. For this purpose, the non-destructive methods were applied, including the infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction and fluorescence (XRD, XRF) and microscopic studies (OM).
Akyuz, S., Akyuz, T., Basaran, S., Bolcal, C. & Gulec, A. 2007. FT-IR and micro-Raman spectroscopic study of decorated potteries from VI and VII century BC, excavated in ancient Ainos – Turkey. – Journal of Molecular Structure, vol. 834–836, 150–153.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molstruc.2006.12.011
Angeli, L., Legnaioli, S., Fabbri, C., Grifoni, E., Lorenzetti, G., Guilaine, J., Palleschi, V. & Radi, G. 2018. Analysis of Serra d’Alto figuline pottery (Matera, Italy): Characterization of the dark decorations using XRF. – Microchemical Journal, 137, 174–180.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.microc.2017.10.014
Bielański, A. 1976. Chemia ogólna i nieorganiczna. Warszawa, Państwowe Wydawnictwa Naukowe, 590.
Boguszewicz, A. 2004. Rozwój kamienicy mieszczańskiej w Dzierżonowie w świetle badań archeologicznych. Dom w mieście średniowiecznym i nowożytnym. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław, 121–141.
Boguszewicz, A. 2009. Wstęp do archeologii historycznej Dzierżoniowa. Dzierżoniów – wieki minione. “Edytor” Drukarnia-Wydawnictwo, Dzierżoniów, 9–34.
Boguszewicz, A. & Daszkiewicz, G. 1999. Późnośredniowieczna ceramika z przedmieścia wrocławskiego w Dzierżoniowie. – Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 41, 517–520.
Castelin, K. 1953. Česká drobná mince doby předhusitské a hustiské (1300–1471). Praha.
Genestar, C., Pons, C. & M’as A. 2006. Analytical characterisation of ancient mortars from the archaeological Roman city of Pollentia (Balearic Islands, Spain). – Analytica Chimica Acta, 557, 373–379.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2005.10.058
Giumlia-Mair, A. 2005. On surface analysis and archaeometallurgy. – Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, B, 239, 35–43.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2005.06.178
Grierson, P. 1975. Numismatics. London.
Hána, J. 2003. Pražské grosé Václava IV. z let 1378–1419. Vlastivědné muzeum Dr. Hostaše v Klatovech v Klatovech, Plzeň.
Karst, D. & Lasota, C. 2000. Relikty bastei odkryte podczas badań architektoniczno-archeologicznych przy Placu św. Małgorzaty w Świdnicy. – Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 42, 253–268.
Kiersnowski, R. 1958. O tzw. “luźnych” znaleziskach monet wczesnośredniowiecznych w Polsce. – Wiadomości Archeologiczne, 25, 181–196.
Kisielewski, J. 1971. Ślady działania prawa Kopernika-Greshama w metrologii groszy praskich, znalezisk odkrytych w Polsce. – Wiadomości Numizmatyczne, R, XV: 2, 65–76.
Mikołajczyk, A. 1977. Naczynia datowane skarbami monet. XIV–XVIII na ziemiach polskich. Wrocław.
Moropoulou, A., Bakolas, A. & Bisbikou, K. 2000. Investigation of the technology of historic mortars. – Journal of Cultural Heritage, 1, 45–58.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1296-2074(99)00118-1
Palmer, R., Raneri, S., Mazzoleni, P., Vella, N. C., Barone, G. & De Clercq, W. 2018. Neighbourly ties: Characterizing local and Sicilian pottery in post-medieval Malta. – Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 19, 575–587.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.03.038
Pinta, V. 2005. Pražské groše Karla IV (1346–1378). Česká numismatická společnost-pobočka
v Chomutově, Chomutov.
Pitarch, A., Queralt, I. & Alvarez-Perez, A. 2011. Analysis of Catalonian silver coins from the Spanish War of Independence period (1808–1814) by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. – Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, B, 269, 308–312.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2010.11.045
Suchodolski, S. 2012. Znaleziska monet i konteksty archeologiczne. Próba klasyfikacji. – Numizmatyka średniowieczna. Ed. S. Suchodolski. Wydawnictwo TRIO, Warszawa, 260–271.
Tabaczyński, S. 1987. Archeologia średniowieczna. Problemy. Źródła. Metody. Cele badawcze. Wrocław, 1987.
Teoh, M. L., McClure, S. B. & Podrug, E. 2014. Macroscopic, petrographic and XRD analysis of Middle Neolithic figulina pottery from central Dalmatia. – Journal of Archaeological Science, 50, 350–358.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.07.007
Thomas, J. R. & Wheeler, C. 2002. Methods of Calculating the Capacity of Pottery Vessels. Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. http://potweb.ashmolean.org/NewBodleian/11-Calculating.html, access 20 April 2017.
Wawrzczak, R. 2017. Sprawa tzw. “Skarbu Tysiąclecia” jako przyczynek do dyskusji na temat przestępczości przeciwko dziedzictwu archeologicznemu. Unpublished master dissertation. Chair of Forensics, Department of Law, Administration and Economy, University of Wrocław.
