November 20, 2012

UK, 1801

In February 1801, Richard Knight sold 800 Troy Ounces of platina to Messrs. Wollaston & Tennant for 4s./ozt., nearly double the average bulk-rate   

The London Price appears to more than double the estimated Cartagena wholesale price  (S$7./libra.) This was more than 25% higher than Wollaston's average price paid.

1801: 1 Troy Ounce platina (Knight's resale, mkt?)  = £ 0.20 (S$ 1.2225)

October, 1801: 1 Troy Oz. platina (specimen rate @ Choco)  = S$ 0.5408 (£ 0.1217)
1801: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Cartagena Mkt) ~ S$ 0.4731  0.0774)











Russia: 1798

c.1798/9: Count de Mussin Puschkine offered to reveal his method of amalgamating platinum sponge for 150 Фунт ( =61.43 kgs., or 1,974.93 Troy Oz.) a request likely directed to the Russian or Spanish Crown rather than any contraband trader. (He disclosed an already known method using mercury in 1800.)  What was the 1798 St. Petersburg cost in Silver Roubles for 1,975 Troy Oz. Spanish platina?

In 1793, the French government paid L.T. 2,716.50 for 1,781.35 Ozt, equivalent to L.T. 3,011.71 (1798: руб 803.11) for 150 Фунт, or L.T. 20.08/Фунт.
  
In 1795, the French government was charged L.T. 7,700 for 14,790 Oz, equivalent to L.T. 1,028.22 (1798: руб 274.19) for 150 Фунт, or L.T. 6.85/Фунт.

In 1795, at the Market-Price S$ 8./Libra, 1,975 Ozt cost L.T. 4,086.4 (1798: руб 1,089.71), or L.T. 27.24/Фунт.  

At L.T. 1 = руб 0.267, if 150 Фунт (1,975 Ozt) cost ~ L.T. 24/Фунт, (1798: руб 6.40/Фунт)
was likely 960 руб Ag, ~ 1,315 руб Acc.   

If correct, Count de Mussin Puschkine valuation for 150 Фунт was ~1,000 руб.

1798: 1 Troy Ounce Platina (SPb: L.T. 24/Фунт) = L.T. 1.823
1798: 1 Troy Oz. Platina (SPb: руб 6.40/Фунт) = руб 0.486


1798: 1 Troy Oz. Platina (Paris: Est. 70% ore, retail) = руб 3.25
1798: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris: Producer Price, Retail Mfg) = руб 16.85 - 18.20

At purity, 1,975 Ozt of 70% ore reduces to 1,382.45 Ozt.  (This does not factor any labor, manufacture/trade fees.) 

1798: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Colombian ore, .999 Pt) = руб 0.694
1798: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Labor) = руб 13.55 
1798: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Rough Guess) = руб
 


Reported Wien, March 1800:


Mussin-Puschkin's offer was reported in English journals, July 1800:



In 1804, Count Mussin-Puschkin inserted himself into the Chevenix-Wollaston Palladium Controversy. Unless he was lying outright - a distinct possibility - he mentions a large platina purchase, (in 1802) by British mineral dealer for the Russian State (in St. Petersburg) and then on two subsequent occasions, bulk sales by the Count (back to?) said dealer. 

Let alone the effort of teaching someone the platinum working skills, the time required to process the platina and convey the Palladium thence to a relation in London is abit absurd. 

Mussin-Puschkin's claim of having held large amounts of Platinum c.1802 is of interest, at any rate.  There was a platina demand in St. Petersburg, and trade in the Colombian ore.

Citation: The Action of Carbon on Palladium Thomas Wood (1859) p.10


Citation: Neues Allgemeines Journal der Chemie, Vol. 4 p.450






France, 1799


c.1799?: British copy of the French Meter (Mètre des Archives)



c.1799:

 Credited to Étienne Lenoir, the 1799 Platinum Meter was actually metal from refiner Marc Étienne Janety and calibrated by Nicolas Fortin.



http://www.histoire-image.org/photo/zoom/arc25_sys_02f.jpg

Duvivier Campo-Formio Medallion:
Diameter 3.5 cm 
Weight: 2.50 Ozt, 77.76 g.










Weight: 2.35 Ozt, 73.1 g.

Citation: Catalogue of the First Portion of Greek, Roman, and Foreign Medieval Coins and medals collected during the last 50 years by the late Thomas Thomas Esq., Sotheby & Co. Auction 7/8/1845



"a recent sale at Christie's (23 July 1965 or 1 March, 1966) , when Lord Margadale sold the coins and medals collected by his grandfather, Alfred Morrison, there is no less interest in commemorative medals of the past. Fig.3 for instance, a platinum medal dated the year 6 of the Revolution showing Napoleon as General-in-Chief of the army in Italy and commemorating the peace in that year, made £.650. {USD$ 233. - 231.73} The artist is Duvivier. The reverse, the mounted conqueror crowned with a laurel wreath by, I presume, Victory, is no doubt banal enough in its severe neo-classic manner; it is interesting though, that, according to the inscription, it is not the nation which is expressing its thanks, but "Les Sciences et Les Arts Reconnaissants..."


7/24/1965-3/1/1966: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Numismatic Rarity) = $ 725.45 - 729.29

1965-6: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Bulk) = $100.
The exchange was erratic 1799-1800. (1799: £ 0.0375 ;  4 June 1800: £ 0.0466 = 1 Fr.; 4 June 1800: £ 0.0466 = 1 Fr.)