![]() tells that significant quantities of myrrh, malachite and electrum were brought from there. There are even older sources: the first documented account of the expedition that pharaoh Sahure sent to the country of Punt in the 25th century B.C. Now, the Homer poem is dated between the 8th and 7th centuries BC, and the Hebrew prophet’s one after that. Chemical analysis of Phocaean coins reveals that they were 55% gold, but in Lydia it could be even lower, between 55 and 45% in Anatolia, on the other side, there were electrum with an amount of gold between 70 and 90%.Įgyptian mummified head covered with electrum / Image: Rama on Wikimedia CommonsĪs you can see, we go back to Greek antiquity and, in fact, electrum is mentioned in The Odyssey and in the Book of Ezekiel. This is because it is not an artificial alloy but a natural one, although it can also be manufactured, in which case the composition percentages change a little and the gold is reduced. ![]() John on Wikimedia CommonsĮlectrum, we said, is composed of gold and silver it has a proportion of four parts of the first and one of the second, but there are also traces of other metals such as platinum or, above all, copper. Electrum veins in a quartz rock / Image: James St. These are just a few, since others could be cited, including those of more uncertain composition, such as the Oricalc or the Tibetan Thokcha. There was hepatizon or black Corinthian bronze (copper or bronze alloyed with gold and silver) brass (copper with zinc), Indian panchaloa (made of the five sacred metals, gold, silver, copper, iron and zinc) or those that combined gold with copper, such as the tumbaga of pre-Hispanic America and the Japanese shakudō. Of course, there were more alloys in those remote times. Of the ancient alloys, probably the most significant case was the electrum, which mixed gold and silver, which had a certain prestige. And, in fact, this combination of copper and tin gives its name to a whole period of prehistory, so that we could perhaps consider it the most important until the appearance of others. Other objects like jewelry, furniture and dinnerware made from this metal are also regarded as antique pieces.If we were to ask about a metal alloy used since the beginning of history, the unanimous answer would surely be bronze. These coins are available at antique stores and their prices vary according to their composition. Thrones, chariots, statues, amulets and jewelry were also made using this alloy.Įlectrum coins are considered to be valuable collectables. Electrum was also used for making coins and drinking vessels in ancient times. This metal was used for coating the exteriors of pyramidions (the uppermost piece of an Egyptian pyramid). ![]() Another reason for the preference was that the techniques of refining gold were not very prevalent at that time. In fact, It was more preferred than gold for coinage for its better hardness and durability. The uses of this alloy were similar to gold. Around 350 BC, the Electrum coins went out of use. But the new silver coins did not entirely replace the Electrum ones as the later was much more valuable than the former for their gold content. In order to solve this problem, pure silver coins were introduced in 570 BC. Due to this reason, foreign trading of that time was seriously hampered. However, the variation in the gold and silver contents of this alloy made it difficult to decide the value of each coin. It was used for different purposes since third millennium BC. This gold-silver alloy has a long history of being used by humans. Solubility: This metal is insoluble in water.ĭensity: The average density of this substance is somewhere between 12.5 gm/cm 3 and 15 gm/cm 3.Įlectric Conductivity: The small copper and platinum contents make it a good electric conductor. Here are some of the main physical and chemical properties of this metal alloy.Īppearance: The color varies from yellowish-white to pale yellow depending on the amount of silver present in it. This metal alloy is denoted by the symbols of its main constituent metals. It is found in places like North and South America, Europe and New Zealand. This alloy of gold is naturally found in gold and silver deposits with high silver contents.
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