A Second Life for Ancient Coins
2005
Directed by Raymond Collet
Collection The Skills of Archaeology
The Graeco-Roman Museum of Alexandria holds several hundreds of thousands of ancient coins, 2,000 of which are on public display. These coins come from various excavations across the Alexandria region, and their discovery enabled the stratigraphic layers to be dated with precision. Nowadays, when coins are first found, they are taken to the CEAlex excavation storehouse, where they undergo a complex treatment. Initial cleaning is carried out to determine the type of corrosion present on the coin, and to choose the additional treatments to be applied: ultrasound or electrolysis. At the end of this process, a protective varnish is applied and each coin is moulded in dental plaster. Numismatists can then begin detailed study of the coins, prior to publication and the exhibition of the most interesting in the Graeco-Roman Museum.