On Platina.: UK, 1818: Friedrich (Frederick or F.) Accum's Catalogue

In his Notebooks, Dr. Wollaston noted with alarm the greater economy of his French competition by 1818. This Continental cost-reduction, depleted sources, and hazardous specie forex forced Wollaston out of the refinery business by 1820.

Wollaston sold ~4,300 Ozt (~134 kgs) Platinum in 1818.

In Sterling, in the period (1800-1818) Dr. Wollaston refined Platinum, the price of platina had risen ~7%; however, the price in Silver Spanish Dollars had risen ~45%.

At the same time, the Sterling price of French Platinum (his competition) had fallen -59%.

c.1800: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (French Producer) = ~£ 1.81
1818 Troy Oz. Platinum (French Producer) = ~£ 0.75 (Fr. 17.55 - 18.53)

1800: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Wollaston's initial cost) = £ 0.1334 (S$ 0.5853)

1818: 1 Troy Oz. platina (bulk ore: Wollaston) = £ 0.1430 (Fr. 3.35, S$ 0.8471)

1818: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Ore: 80% at purity) = £ 0.1788 (Fr. 4.20 -4.42)
1818: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (UK Refining Cost) = £ 0.1000 (Fr. 2.34 - 2.47)
1818: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (UK Producer's Cost) = £ 0.2788 (Fr. 6.52 - 6.90)
1818: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris Producer's Price) = £ 0.2788 (Fr. 6.52)

1818: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (scrap, Bollman) = £ 0.2432 (Fr. 5.70)
c.1820: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (scrap, Johnson) = £ 0.6441

Feb., 1819. I understand from Mr. Tennant that [platinum] retorts have been made in Paris of about 30 gallon capacity and weighing about 900 ounces at 15 shillings per ounce.

1818: I was fortunate to locate, examine and photograph ephemera at the Boston Public Library. Although undated, this catalogue offers for sale the first edition of Chemical Amusements (1817) and the Third Edition of Practical Treatise on Gas-Light (c.1816).

The following photographs (mine) therefore illustrate the 1818 prices for "platina" (refined platinum) in various forms.

F. Accum's 1812, 1816, 1817 and 1818 editions offer identical Platinum prices. If fine Silver sold at 7s. per Troy ounce in 1812, a Silver Crucible for 18s. was ~15 grams, but the rate for manufactured (imported?) Platinumware is unknown but probably much much greater than wire. Pt Crucibles were sold in Paris for about £ 0.90 at this time; the manufactured rate in Accum's catalogue follows W. &S. Jones'.

1818: 1 Troy Oz. platina (ore, whols./retail: F. Accum) = £ 0.25 (USD$ 1.31)

1818: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (semi-mfg, catalogue) = £ 1.- 1.05 ($5.22 - 5.48)

1818: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (mfg, catalogue: F. Accum) ~ £ 1.75 (USD$ 8.05)

1817:

Reference for an uncertain date after 1817 and before 1822:
c.1821?: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured, retail) ~ £ 1.05

Citation: Encyclopaedia Britannica: or, A dictionary of arts, sciences, and ..., Volume 2 (1824) p.341