April 22, 2010

France, 1832: Price of Manufactured Platinum Stills

Notable at the outset, there was a delay of as much as several years in the relay of European prices in American journals.  Although the ore price reportedly fell dramatically in 1830, the retail price of Platinum manufactures did not.  The price differential is informative for ingot and manufactures sold in Paris and NYC ; US retail price was 84% higher than the European ingot price (1831.) 


By 1831, Charles Lennig of Philadelphia began in the first large scale concentration of sulphuric acid in the USA with Platinum stills, followed soon thereafter by Rosengarten & Sons, then by Carter & Scattergood by 1834.  

The US demand for unmanufactured Platinum likely surged with the sudden removal of long-standing Platinum tariffs (15%) in 1833.  This may have lent greater price support to the European Platinum market after the Crash. 


1832:  1 Troy Oz. Platinum (pre-imported Paris mfg)  = USD$ 4.35

1833: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (UK Mfg) = £ 1.20909 (USD$ 6.34)  
1833: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (imported Paris mfg @ NYC)  = USD$ 6.00   


c.1822: Platinum stills for the large-scale concentration & produstion of sulphuric acid consumed massive amounts of Tennant's capital at St. Rollox in England.


1831:




4,500 - 5,400 ounces

1832 : French imports of platina =


Unknown year: Platinum rate











A significant factor was the removal of the Platinum & platina tariffs in 1832/3.


Adjusting for Real Inflation since 1832 (9,821%) we can extrapolate a long term price for imported manufactured Platinum $ 595.  (in 2009 USD$)  The respective London Price for platinum ingot is inflation-projected to ~ $360. per Troy Ounce in 2009 Dollars, before importation.

In inflation-adjusted terms, this may approximate an historic low for refined platinum (prior to growing industrial demand for batteries, school chemistry apparatus, telegraphy, etc.)  

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