an amalgam is definitely an alloy - of mercury and another metal or metals. the word 'amalgam literally means mercury alloy.
tin amalgams were used to coat lighthouse mirrors, indeed by heating the base metal coated with the hardened tin amalgam to the point where the mercury was evaporated. rather poisonous. why they would use a low mercury tin amalgam and copper to make bronze, but i am not a proper metallurgist, just an engineer. mercury does not particularly like amalgamating with copper, and gold/silver amalgams could be used to coat copper or bronze, then heated to drive off the mercury (maybe killing a few slaves) leaving behind a nice coated surface that could be polished.
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