This study uses X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) to analyze the composition of 100 Victoria Crosses (VCs), representing 7% of all awarded medals. Gaussian mixture modeling reveals four distinct clusters, primarily separating medals issued before and after 1914, indicating a change in source material. The analysis also explores the potential of XRF to assess the authenticity of questioned VCs, demonstrating its ability to identify medals with unusually similar compositions to other known VCs.
Publisher
Scientific Reports
Published On
Oct 27, 2020
Authors
Andrew Marriott, James G. D. Prendergast
Tags
Victoria Cross
X-ray fluorescence
composition analysis
authenticity
medal materials
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