UK, 1812: Iridium & Osmium

1812: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Wire: Cary retail) = £ 0.8751
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mfg: Cary retail) = £ 1.00

1812: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wire: Accum retail) = £ 1.05
1812: 1 Troy Oz Platinum (Mfg: Accum retail) = £ 1.20

Although the spot-price platina in New Grenada was falling dramatically, the British retail price was stable.

Iridium ore was  still not well analyzed by 1826, but British samples from 1806 (of unknown provenance) date to the period of Accum's catalogue.  Iridium ore was 3x more expensive than platina. 

Refined and manufactured Platinum was 3x more expensive than platina at the intrinsic rate; labor & profit being a full 2/3rds the price.  

Citation:   Descriptive Catalogue of the Apparatus and Instruments. . . Manufactured and Sold by Accum and Garden (1812) p.53

Muriate:


Platinum forecepts were recommended as mineralogist tools at least as early as 1814.  
c.1812:






Assuming the same effort and margins only suggests the very lowest possible producer prices, where the far less rare and non-toxic Palladium was in fact retailing for ~ £ 24 ./oz.

1812: 1 Troy Oz. Iridosmine/Osmiridium (ore)  = £ 0.75 (USD$ 2.72)

1812: 1 Troy Oz. Iridium (intrinsic)  ~ £ 1.0 (USD$ 3.62)
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Osmium (intrinsic)  ~ £ 3.0 (USD$ 10.86)
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Iridium (refined)  ~ £ 3. (USD$ 10.86)
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Osmium (refined)  ~ £ 9. (USD$ 32.58) 

1812: 1 Troy Oz. platina (ore)  = £ 0.25 (USD$ 0.91)

1812: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (intrinsic value, @ 75%)  ~ £ 0.33 (USD$ 1.21)
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined)  = £ 1. (USD$ )

1812: 1 Troy Oz. Palladium (Trade, Accum) = £ 4.85 (USD$ )
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Palladium (Trade, .999) = £ 5.4281 (USD$ )  
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Palladium (Est. Retail, Accum) ~ £ 5.82 (USD$ )
1812: 1 Troy Oz. Palladium (Est. Retail, Accum) ~ £ 6.5174 (USD$ ) 
 

The 1835 Davy Catalogue illustrates how much higher demand and/or costs were, in fact.  Iridosmine (ore) was twice as expensive as refined Platinum, and refined Iridium was 11.25x more expensive than the ore.  Iridium was 22.5x more expensive than Platinum; Osmium was 30x more expensive than Pt.

 

1835: 1 Troy Oz. Iridium (refined)  = £ 36. (USD$ 174.60)

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

1835: 1 Troy Oz. Iridosmine (Native Iridium)  = £ 3.20 (USD$ 15.52)

1835: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined,retail)  = £ 1.60 (USD$ 7.76)

1835: 1 Troy Oz. platina (ore)  = £ 0.90 (USD$ 4.37)


Citation:  The Annals of philosophy, Vol. 27 Ed. Thomas Thomson, Richard Phillips, Edward William Brayley (1826) p.17

 

 

Citation: Annales des mines: ou recueil de memoires sur l'exploitation..., Vol. 12 1826 p.326
 

French books were 70% - 100% more expensive in London.

The London price for 3 vol. set of a French title, £ 1.60 (Fr. 30.61 )


The Paris price for same 3 vol. presumably Fr 18. - 21. (£ 0.94 - 1.10)


The London price for 2 vol. set of a French title, £ 1.05 (Fr. 20.09)


The Paris price for same 2 vol. presumably Fr 10. - 13. (£ 0.52 - 0.68)