II.—SHEET GOLD. (No. 543.)
No. 543.
A piece of Sheet
Gold. Sepulchre IV.
Actual size.
The total weight of the specimen was 1·702 grain, and its thickness was about 1-100th of an inch. Its specific gravity at 60° Fahr. was 18·867. Annexed is a sketch of the specimen, of the actual size. It was yellow, soft, ductile, and marked or indented on the surface, which appeared as though slightly tarnished. After cleaning with warm water, dilute hydrochloric acid, and gentle rubbing, the metal weighed 1·698 grain, which is equal to a loss of 0·235 per cent. 1·4 grain of the cleaned metal was analysed with the following results:—
COMPOSITION PER CENT.
| Gold | 89·36 |
| Silver | 8·55 |
| Copper | 0·57 |
| Iron | 0·20 |
| 98·68 |
The absence of lead suggests that possibly the metal may have been native gold, or prepared with native gold, of which silver is always a constituent in varying proportions.