USA, 1835-1856: Osmium & Iridium

After twenty years the price for refined Osmium fell about half in the UK, and the California mining operation brought more ore to market at the time of the Gold Rush.  But in the USA, the finest osmiridium grains were about the same price, in the mid-1850s.

c. 1853: Brief US Price Collapse, indicated by 'crash prices' in Chilton's catalogue.

See: Platinum ores from California (Weil, 1859)

1835: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium (refined)  = £ 48. (USD$ 232.80)

1853: 1 Troy Ounce Iridium (pure, whols.)  = USD$ 62.
Citation:: Descriptive catalogue of chemical apparatus, chemicals and pure reagents (1852) Bullock & Crenshaw, p. 10
 

1853: 1 Troy Ounce Osmiridum (ore, whols.)  = USD$ 8.

1853: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium (refined, pure, whols.)  = USD$ 240.  

Citation:: Descriptive catalogue of chemical apparatus, chemicals and pure reagents (1854 Kent, p. 51)

1854: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium (pure, whols.)  = USD$ 48.

1854: 1 Troy Ounce Iridium (pure, whols.)  = USD$ 48. 
1853: 1 Troy Ounce Rhodium (pure, whols.)  = USD$ 120. 

Citation:: Descriptive catalogue of chemical apparatus, chemicals and pure reagents (1855 Chilton , p. 76; 73)

1854: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium (pure, whols.)  = USD$ 240. 

1854: 1 Troy Ounce Osmirdium (ore, whols.)  = USD$ 8.

Citation:: Descriptive catalogue of chemical apparatus, chemicals and pure reagents (1855 Kent, p. 51)

Citation: Descriptive catalogue of chemical apparatus, chemicals and pure reagents (1856 Lehume, p. 13)

 

1854: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium (refined, pure, whols.)  = £ 24. (USD$ 117.10)

Citation: Descriptive and general catalogue of philosophical apparatus and chemical ... By Bland & Long (1854), p.14

c. 1855/8?

Unknown date (1855?) and perhaps confusing the Osmium price:

??: 1 Troy Ounce Rhodium (pure, whols.)  ~ USD$ 245. 

 

c.1859/60?