A series of 74 small silver Celtic coins discovered on the territory of the present Slovenia and classified in 7 different types were analyzed using the methods of proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) to determine the silver and copper concentrations on the surface and in the bulk, respectively. The aim of the research was to determine the purity of the metal and the trace element content in relation with the coin type. Though no classification could be performed according to the concentrations of trace elements in the surface layer as determined by PIXE, the bulk analysis showed a two-tailed distribution of low- and higher-grade silver. This means that the base metal was supplied through two different distribution centers or that the basic alloy suffered a gradual decrease of fineness as a consequence of inflationary movements.

中文翻译：

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用PIXE和PGAA分析斯洛文尼亚的凯尔特小银币

使用质子诱导的X射线发射（PIXE）和快速伽马活化分析（PGAA）的​​方法分析了在当前斯洛文尼亚境内发现的并分类为7种不同类型的一系列74枚凯尔特小银币。和铜浓度分别在表面和散装中。该研究的目的是确定与硬币类型有关的金属纯度和微量元素含量。尽管无法根据PIXE的测定根据表面层中痕量元素的浓度进行分类，但体积分析显示低级和高级银的两尾分布。