Ancient Molds (Moulds) For Counterfeits

Wow! an excellent article. It's really interesting to see how it was actually done. Thanks Warren.

Interesting experiment...

To get the flame hotter you need bellows of some sort.

The metal can be placed in a ceramic crucible which can be picked up and poured using tongs. If melted in this to sufficient temperature it can be poured into the moulds (rather than putting the lot in a kiln?) A flux substance might be needed to have the metal flow nicely?

Melting gold and silver is usually done with a blow torch with gas and oxygen, I have used gas and a blow pipe (pipe goes to your mouth and as you blow the flame turns hot and blue colour.) after melting something you feel quite light headed from all the puffing! I am not sure if the ancient world used any similar techniques... presumably they didn't have bottle gas!

Anyway I would imagine some sort of oven with bellows leading to it, the metal in a crucible in the centre, the bellows are pumped until the metal is fully fluid, then it is quickly lifted with tongs and poured into the moulds in one fluid motion.

It would be fun to play around with and try...

I have owned a half dozen of these counterfeit moulds and absolutely love them. Most of them were for late Roman bronzes but I recall one that was for a 3rd century antoniniani. Great stuff! Thanks for the article.