How Romans Pioneered Recycling Silver

Researchers from the University of Liverpool and the University of Warwick discovered that the process of extracting and refining silver by ancient Romans resulted in lead pollution found in Greenland’s ice. This pollution likely drifted across the Atlantic from Roman mints. The Romans, especially after conflicts in Iberia and southern France, recycled silver to produce coins, a practice which became more prevalent when coins with lower gold levels emerged. According to Jonathan Wood, recycling coins was more cost-effective and environmentally friendly for the Romans than extracting new silver.