| Orichalcum | |
|---|---|
 A bronze sestertius coin from the time of Caligula | |
| Material type | Metal |
Orichalcum or aurichalcum /ˌɔːrɪˈkælkəm/ is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, including the story of Atlantis in the Critias of Plato. Within the dialogue, Critias (460–403 BC) says that orichalcum had been considered second only to gold in value and had been found and mined in many parts of Atlantis in ancient times, but that by Critias's own time, orichalcum was known only by name.[1]
Orichalcum may have been a noble metal such as platinum,[2] as it was supposed to be mined, but has been identified as pure copper or certain alloys of bronze, and especially brass alloys[3] in the case of antique Roman coins, the latter being of "similar appearance to modern brass" according to scientific research.[4]
- ^ "The Internet Classics Archive | Critias by Plato". classics.mit.edu. Paragraph 13. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ Cf. Felice Vinci, The Baltic Origins of Homer's Epic Tales. The "Illiad", the "Odyssey" and the Migration of Myth, Inner Traditions, Rochester (Vermont) 2005.
- ^ Di Fazio, Melania; Felici, Anna Candida; Catalli, Fiorenzo; De Vito, Caterina (3 September 2019). "Microstructure and chemical composition of Roman orichalcum coins emitted after the monetary reform of Augustus (23 B.C.)". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 12668. Bibcode:2019NatSR...912668D. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-48941-4. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 6722059. PMID 31481740.
- ^ Caley, Earle Radcliffe (1964). Orichalcum and Related Ancient Alloys: Origin, Composition, and Manufacture: With Special Reference to the Coinage of the Roman Empire, Issues 151–154 Front Cover. American Numismatic Society. pp. 2, 92, 105.