France, 1859/60: Platina & Platinum

Pure Platinum was most cheaply available, following Deville & Debray's publication of best practice in Platinum refining at very low cost.  A 20-Franc coin with 6.31 g pure Platinum would have had an intrinsic value of ~ Fr. 5.679, but the alloy was 97% Pt/ 3% Cu.  Assuming the Coin was originally plated with ~3 Grains Fine Gold (Value = Fr 0.67) a 20-FF Coin weighing 6.324 g. had lost about 2 Grains Troy in mass. A true 20-FF Coin had about Fr. 19.96 in Fine Gold, the counterfeit entailed a loss to the holder of ~Fr 14.28, ~72.5% of its intrinsic value.

Platinum was 4.09x more expensive than Silver.

The 1859 price for manufactured stills from Desmoutis, Morin & Chapuis was approximately Fr 37./oz. Troy. 

Approximate amount of refined Platinum of a 1858/9 Paris-manufactured still, by weight per Litre = 4.8225 Troy Ounces; the amount of Litres per Troy Ounce =0.2074 Litres.


1859/60: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (refined, whols.) = Fr 28. (USD $ 5.47)
1859/60: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined, mfg.) = Fr 31.10 - 37.33 (USD $ 6.08-7.30)

1859/60: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Whols., ore @ Choco) = Fr 10.11  (USD $1.98)

Citation:  Lecons de chimie élémentaire appliquée aux arts industriels ..., Vol. 1 J. Girardin (1860) p.869

Citation:  Jahresbericht über die Leistungen der chemischen Technologie, Vol. 5  By Johannes Wagner, Fischer, et al (1860) p.147

Citation:  Dictionnaire universel theorique et pratique du commerce et de la ..., Volume 2 (1860) p.1121

c. 1860: Highest Cost of Refining Platinum,

1859/60: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Refining Cost) = Fr 7.76 (USD $ 1.52)

Citation: De la métallurgie du Platine et des métaux qui l'accompagnent; Henri Sainte-Claire Deville, H. De Bray (1861)
 

1860: Ingots