France, 1823: September Sponge Price

c.January, 1822: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined) = Fr 18.31 (USD$ 3.51) 
c. March 1822: 1 Troy Ounce platina (ore, Paris, retail) = Fr 21.3305 (USD$ 4.0941)
June, 1822?: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: mkt) = Fr 23.362 (USD$ 4.4841)


c.1822/3: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: Mfg.) = Fr 23.61 (USD$ 4.44)

Citation: Traité élémentaire de minéralogie;  François Sulpice Beudant (1823) p.786


c. April 1823: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Paris: Ore, Ret.) = Fr 18.30 (USD$ 3.44)
c. April 1823: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: Prod. Mfg.) = Fr 25.41 (USD$ 4.78) 

Citation: Erster Band, welcher von den Gesetzen der chemischen Thätigkeit... Vol. 1 (1824) p.754



c.Mid-1823: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Sponge) = Fr 23.61 (USD$ 4.44)

Citation of Bréant's Palladium work (as personal correspondence but not the award received in 1823) dates this ms. to 1822.  A revised edition was published in April 1824.

Tellingly, there is also no mention whatsoever of the Russian platina discovery (first announced and confirmed in German-language journals circa November, 1823) but the false discovery in Spain remains.

Rumors were circulating, perhaps influencing market price even by 1822.

Although repeated in later editions, this particular price doesn't appear in Brard's other, earlier titles. There is also no mention of Platinum restrictions, scarcity, nor price-hikes, here. (Also, a questionable reference for the 1838 edition.)

Citation: Nouveaux élémens de minéralogie ou manuel du minéralogiste voyageur; C. P. Brard (April 1824) p.299

1822:

Austrian source, c. mid-1824: Bréant's effort to refine 1,000 kg. of platina for the Spanish Crown was reported July 1823. There is likewise no mention of the massive Russian platina discovery, credibly reported by 1824. This would date this German ms. to late 1823/4, so likely including Paris Price data from mid-1823.

c.1819?: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: Ingot) = Fr 17.7064
.......... USD$ 3.296

c. Early-1823: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: Ingot) = Fr 25.3935
.......... USD$ 4.6256

The technical processing of Platinum in mass was achieved by the excellent Wollaston, and then engaged the Parisian goldsmiths Janety, and in more recent times Breant. The latter is processing on behalf of the Spanish government a stockpile of 2,000 Pfund crude platina, which had puzzled the year collected in 1748. So, purified in a solid hammered ingot, an Once of Platinum costs in Paris from Fr. 18 to Fr. 25 ; equivalently, sold by the Wiener Loth from Fl. C.M. 4 - 4.583 (Florins Convention Munze.)

Citation: Erster Band, welcher von den Gesetzen der chemischen Thätigkeit..., Vol. 1 (1824)

October 23, 1823?  A September 1823 Price.

Citation: Frédéric Soret und Goethe: Correspondence
"...n'auroient point dû nous séduire par l'avance de la modicité du prix à commander plusieurs médailles en Platine... en marge de la lettre je puis les résoudre moi-même, le prix du platine est exhorbitant, il a augmenté de 18 francs par once en quelques mois puisque j'en ai acheté à Paris pour le G. Duc au mois d'Août à environ 31 francs l'once"
 
"... would not have had had seduced us in advance of the low price to order multiple medals in Platinum... in the margin of the letter I can resolve this myself, the platinum price is exorbitant: in a few months since I bought in Paris for the G. Duke in August, it increased from Fr. 18 per Once to about Fr. 31 per Once."

c.June, 1822?: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris mkt, refined) = Fr 17.70
September, 1823: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris mkt, refined) = Fr 30.49

The medallion rate at the French Mint established a refined precious metal ratio in Late 1823:  1: 3.2727 : 12.8571

Platinum was about one-third the price of Gold and 4x greater than Silver. Seignorage (any Mint cost and profit, over the market price) for Gold was 4.81% ; for Silver, 25.73%.

Platinum was notoriously difficult and expensive to coin; the dies broke more frequently under duress from iridium and osmium. The higher seignorage (Silver rate) applied to Platinum by 1832. Soon thereafter, the coinage rate for Platinum medallions was entirely discretionary to the Mint Director.

1823: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (hypothetical intrinsic) = Fr 29.34 (USD$ 5.66)

November 1823: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (pure, coined) = Fr 34.21 (USD$ 6.60)

1823: 1 Troy Oz. Gold (pure, coined) = Fr 111.96 (USD$ 21.61)

1823: 1 Troy Oz. Silver (pure, coined) = Fr 8.71 (USD$ 1.68)

1823: 1 Troy Ounce Gold (market) = Fr 106.93 (USD$ 20.62)

1823: 1 Troy Ounce Silver (market) = Fr 6.91 (USD$ 1.34)

The November 1823 Tarif for an 84 g. medal minted at Paris should have been Fr. 92.40.

Charles Amedee Albert de Savoie (Carlo Alberto)
CH. AM. ALB DE SAVOIE PRINCE DE CARIGNAN
Lot 1315: Platinum Medal, 1823. 84 grams. 41 mm.
by De Puymaurin D and Barre F. Obv legend "Ches Ame.ALbt.DE SAVOIE - PRINCE DE CARIGNAN. Uniformed bust left. Reverse: Legend. RARE. Choice Extremely Fine.
Realized $2,420 (Date?)

1832:

An important summary by Professor Karl Gottfried Hagen of Konigsberg grappled with the Platinum price problem, unsuccessfully. Apparently citing 'Standard' Gold & Silver Prices in London (current in August, 1830?), Thenard's Chemie (a 1822 Platinum price not 1825: the publication date!) and the English Platinum Price from 1805 (£ 0.79), Dr. Hagen erroneously assumes prices for the PMs hadn't changed in 20 years!

Even if conceptually useful, the stated Gold-Platinum-Silver Ratio for France or England is likewise incorrect (except for random years like 1805, or 1823, or 1830.) The Russian Gold-Platinum-Silver Ratio looks dubious as well, since it's known that currency premiums on metallic Roubles fluctuated wildly 1803-30. It seems odd, in an essay on the commodity question, the Professor didn't simply inquire for a price-record from local merchant-dealers or Platinum consumers (chemists, purchasing the platinumware.) Perhaps secrecy was a factor.  That no one else treating this subject - save Maury/Tillet - bothered to gather and report price data suggests significant retail price variations were simply expected and not worth comment or fuss.

1823: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mkt) = Fr. 24.38 (USD$ 4.71)

Citation: Jahrbuecher der Geschichte und Staatskunst, Pt 1 ; Karl Heinrich L. Pölitz (1830) p.34

The 1825 German translation of Thenard's French textbook, Traité de chimie élémentaire, théorique et pratique (1824) republished an outdated, common price for platina c.1821/2.

Citation: Lehrbuch der theoretischen und praktischen Chemie: in sechs Bänden, Vol. 1 ; Louis Jacques de Thénard, Gustav Theodor Fechner (1825) p.395

"Der Preis hat sich daher in 20 Jahre nicht verändert, und wahrscheinlich ist er auch jetzt nicht höher; denn durch die Entdeckung dieses Metalls im Ural, ist der Vorrath davon ungleich stärker vermehrt, als der Verbrauch, theils dadurch, daß man die Platins, die man im Jahre 1805 noch nicht gut zu hämmern verstand, mehrfach anwenden lernte, theils durch die Aussicht ihrer Benutzung zur Münze zugekommen ' haben kann. Vergleicht man mit demselben den Londoner Preis einer engl. Unze Gold von 3 Pfd. 17 Schill. M einer Unze Silber von 4 Schill. 11.5 Pence; so verhalten sich die Werthe dem Gewichte nach gleicher Quantitäten von Silber, Platkna und Gold, wie 1: 3.05 : 1.5,s«. Platina ist daher dreimal fo theuer, als Silber, aber fünfmal wohlfeiler, als Gold.

Citation: Cours de chimie la l'usage des elleves de l'Ecole militaire de Saint-Cyr, By Jean J. Colin (1827) p.347

 
1823: The French importation of Colombian platina was 76 Kgs (~ 2,443 Ozt.)



1823: Popular Use of Platinum in Jewelry suggests higher valuation and greater demand.