Billon is an alloy of a precious metal (most commonly silver, but also gold) with a majority base metal content (such as copper). It is used chiefly for making coins, medals, and token coins. An alloy is a combination, either in solution or compound, of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, and where the resulting material has metallic properties. ... A gold nugget A precious metal is a rare metallic chemical element of high economic value. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Atomic mass 196. ... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Atomic mass 63. ... A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ... A Medal is a word used for various types of compact objects: a wearable medal awarded by an authority government for services redered, especially to a country (such as Armed force service); strictly speaking this only refers to a medal of coin-like appearance, but informally the word also refers... A rare and historic Bechuanaland Border Police canteen token. ...

The word originates from the middle Latin billo, meaning "a coin containing mostly copper", or just "unit of payment". Latin is an ancient Indo-European language. ...

Use of billon coins dates through Middle Ages to ancient Greece. During 6th and 5th century BC, some cities on Lesbos island used coins made of 60% copper and 40% silver. During the Middle Ages, leaner mixtures were adopted, some with only 25% or even 20% of silver.^[1] The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Isle of Lesbos shown just off the coast of Turkey, northwest of Izmir Lesbos (Greek – Λέσβος - Lésvos see also List of traditional Greek place names; Turkish: Midilli Adası) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea; its inhabitants are called Lesvioi. ...

See also

• Metal
• Bullion
• List of alloys
• Antoninianus

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A precious metal is a rare metallic element of high, durable economic value. ... This is a list of alloys for which an article exists in Wikipedia (or is proposed but not yet written). ... Row 1: Elagabalus (silver 218-222AD), Trajan Decius (silver 249-251AD), Gallienus (billon 253-268AD Asian mint) Row 2: Gallienus (copper 253-268AD), Aurelian (silvered 270-275AD), barbarous radiate (copper), barbarous radiate (copper) The antoninianus was a coin used during the Roman Empire that was valued at 2 denarii. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.econlib.org/library/YPDBooks/Jevons/jvnMME11.html

External links

• National Pollutant Inventory - Copper and compounds fact sheet