On October 5, 1804, a large shipment of 32 chests (~4,000 Troy Ounces; 124.4 kgs) of platina was seized by British Commodore Moore from the Spanish Frigate Médée (Bustamante Guerra) and presumably sold on the UK market (at Plymouth, around October 19th?) Wollaston's purchase record does not show he acquired this platina in 1805 or 1806.
This bulk platina seizure is 2/3rds Wollaston's 'monopolist purchase' in 1800 and ten times greater than the widely-publicized large bulk sale in New York in 1802. Similar bulk auctions may have periodically discounted bulk platina in the UK; it is also not known whether merchant banks held platina as a commodity or for what duration.
This Continental/ Atlantic news was reported in London October 25th 1804 and in Haiti March 14th, 1805; there was a 4.5 month lag-time in trans-Atlantic commercial news during the winter months.
The Diary of William Allen recorded the early manufactures of Thomas Cock, in late 1804.
(See A history of platinum and its allied metals; Donald McDonald and Leslie B. Hunt, 1982, p139.) Cock's refined Platinum was not pure, however.
It appear that the amounts indicated were ounces avoirdupois ("56 ounces" = 3.5 lb avd.); "Small Platina" refers to reduced sponge.
51 Troy Ounces platina > 30.9 Troy Ounces Refined Platinum = 65.81% purity
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Pt Sponge (33.4833 ozt @ £ 30.20) = £ 0.90
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Pt, refined (44.9833 ozt @ £ 27.61) = £ 0.6138
33.4833 ozt + 11.5 ozt = 44.98 ozt.
1804/5: 1 Troy Ounce platina (ore; whols.) = £ 0.2468 (USD$ 1.12)
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (intrinsic) = £ 0.3751 (USD$ 1.71)
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refining cost) = £ 0.4452 (USD$ 2.)
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (producer price) = £ 0.82 (USD$ 3.71)
1804/5: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (mfg, retail) = £ 1.659 (USD$ 7.50)
The 1830 British Platinum Low gave pause for reflection; ~27 years earlier,Wollaston's Platinum was not yet sold in London. Paris-imported Platinum, presuambly Jeanetty's, was 3-4 x higher (at least 35% higher than the Paris Price, to include merchant profit, importer's markup, plus any tariffs.)
c.1803: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (ingot) = £ 2.44 - 3.00 (USD$ 10. -13.75)
c.1798 - 1803:
Factoring the intrinsic rate cited in New York in 1802, early imported French Platinum-ware was likely sold at the Price of Fine Gold.
c.1804 (see 1839)
Gold's Specific Gravity is 19.32-19.33; Platinum is 21.45
Where Hammered Gold is 19.3617; Hammered Platinum should be 21.53
Refined, rolled & hammered Platinum was assumed to have an incorrect specific gravity of "22.07" : probably, ~12% Iridium
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