Colombia, 1890

Caculated at £ 0.1667 or 5 Francs per C$1.,

1890: 1 Troy Ounce Gold (Colombian ore export, ~83%) = C$ 31.81 (Fr 159.)
1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Cartagena ore export, ~83%) = C$ 7.20 (Fr 36.)
1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (ore, at purity) = C$ 8.67

1890: 1 Troy Ounce platina (Colombian ore export, ~83%) = C$ 9.57 (Fr 47.85)
1890: 1 Troy Ounce platina (ore, at purity) = C$ 11.53

UK, 1890: Price Peak

English speculators moved on the Russian market in May, 1890 and then a large French electrical concern paid a then-record wholesale price in the Summer of 1890.

Global Platinum market-prices elsewhere followed almost immediately, within weeks.

May, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Mkt) ~ £ 2.90? (USD$ 14.17)
October, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mkt) = £ 4.20 (USD$ 20.41)
November, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mkt) = £ 3.25 (USD$ 15.80)
 
June, 1890: The price of photographers' platino-salts had nearly doubled in a couple of months.

Citation: Anthony's Photographic Bulletin, Vol. 21, No.13. 7/12/1890; p.

June 13 1890 notice, presumably in a Circular or Price Current of June 1890 Burgoygne, Burbridges &  Monthly Magazine of Pharmacy, Chemistry, Medicine, &c.
 



Citation: The Electrical Review, Vol. 37, No. 930, 9/30/1895, p.358


Reprinting an October 1890 article from The Electrician:



October 1890:  1 Ozt. Platinum (Scrap?) = £ 2.50 (USD$ )

October 1890: 
Citation: Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy, Vol. 39 (7/4/1891) p.13
 

January, 1891: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Scrap?) = £ 2.50 (USD$ )



DSQ
Mid 1889 price quote:

Mid? 1889: 1 Ozt. platina (Australia: Ore) = £ 1.40 - 1.50 (USD$ )

Citation: Annual Report; New South Wales. Dept. of Mines 6/25/1891



May, 1889: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Mkt) = £ 1.60 (USD$ 7.78)
October, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Mkt) = £ 4.15 (USD$ 19.96)




October 1890 Event:


1898: Assessment of the 1890 Platinum Peak: "...a combination bulled the market..."


October 1890: Platinum Thefts Noted


Base Metals Market, Sept. - Nov. 1890: Late October peak




c.1890/1:
Cost of refining platina, per Troy Oz. = £ 0.0625 - 0.1250 (USD$ 0.30 - 0.61)

Citation: Economic mining: a practical handbook for the miner, the metallurgist... ; Charles George Warnford Lock (1895) p.587
 

c. July 1890 Swan-Edison Platinum purchase rate, at £ 3.0
November 1892 Swan-Edison Platinum purchase rate, at £ 1.50

  

Numismatics:

1838 Victoria, Platinum, Eimer 1315, 36.5 mm, ~33.9 g
1838 Victoria, 24k Gold, Eimer 1315, 36.5 mm, ~31.5 g
1838 Victoria, Silver, Eimer 1315, 37 mm, 21.7 g


April 28, 1890:

March? 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (London Mkt) = £ 1.60 (USD$ 7.78)

May, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Russia: Refined) = £ 0.608 (16.417 руб)

June, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Germany: Refined) = £ 2.875 (ℳ 59.10)
c.August, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (USA: Semi-Mfg, Trade) = £ 3.92 (USD$ 19.20) 

May 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Numismatic) = £ 7.34 (USD$ 35.77)
May 1890: Est. 33.9 g Platinum Medal (Numismatic) = £ 8. (USD$ 39.)

Austria, 1890?

The seminal textbook of criminalistics by Hanns Groß (1893) records an odd and rather stupid (or drug-induced desperate?) variety of "scrap" Platinum theft, perhaps dating from the Platinum peak?

Citation: Manuel pratique d'instruction judiciaire à l'usage des procureurs..., Vol. 2 ("Sad Cases" Ch. 22, p.475) Hanns Gross, Gabriel Bourcart, Wintzweiller

Germany, 1890

1890: 1 Troy Ounce Gold (Mkt, Ingot) = ℳ 86.63
1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Manufactured) = ℳ 61.28

January, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Refined) = ℳ 46.66
June, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Refined) = ℳ 59.10
September, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Refined) = ℳ 71.54
October, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Refined) = ℳ 68.43
November, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Refined) = ℳ 65.32



Manufactured, bulk Platinum prices in German Marks, 1869-92:

Russia, 1890

1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Ural Contract: 83% ore) =13.29 руб 
1890: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Contract @ .999) =16.01 руб
1890: Russian Refiner's Cost @212 руб/Poud = 0.4025 руб
1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (SPb: Refined Poud) =16.417 руб

Citation: The Mineral Industry, Vol. 7 (1899) p.570



Where 1 Funt = 0.49 kg, 542.11 руб Kr., 

c. 1890?: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (SPb mkt) = 16.86 руб Kr.





Where the 1890/1 market price was 8,000 руб Kr. per Poud at intrinsic value of platina (80%) the actual Spot 80% ore was 6,400 руб Kr. per Poud. 


1890: 1 Troy Ounce platina (Ural Spot, 80%) = 12.1524 руб Kr
1890 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Ural Spot, 100%) = 15.1905 руб Kr
1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Ural Spot, 80%) = 8.7497 руб Ag
1890: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (Ural Spot, 100%) = 10.9372 руб Ag
 

In 1890, the Russian Platinum Price Peak was explained by:
a) machinations of the Platinum syndicate (Russo-European monopolist producers)
b) scarcity of labor in the Urals (construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway)
c) forward contracts by Western speculator-caspitalists

Citation: Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, Vol. 28 (11/29/1890)


Where the poud weighed 526.643 Troy Ounces @ Paper Rouble and Sight Rates

Early January, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (SPb) = 4.75 - 5.13 руб
(USD$ 2.5634 - 2.99; USD$ )
May, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (SPb, mkt) = 15.19 руб (USD$ 9.11)
June, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. platina (SPb, mkt) = 23.74 руб (USD$ 14.54)
December, 1891: 1 Troy Oz. platina (SPb, mkt) = 11.96 руб (USD$ 5.87)

From Berlin in 1890:


1889: The value of the Rouble against the Dollar increased 25%, a boon for Russian platina sellers and powerful incentive for export merchants.

USA, 1890: 2-Sigma Event for Pt Price

March, 1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mkt) ~ USD$ 14.

Citation: Congressional Edition, Vol. 2775 
 

 



No contemporaries bothered to record/detail the 1890 Platinum Price Bubble in the US market, but two sources attempted to chart the dramatic price moves in Marks (Platinum) and Shilling (Ore.)

Refined Platinum on the German market:

Citation: Chemist & Druggist, Vol. 40 (4/16/1892) p.566


Citation: The Electrical Engineer, Vol. 15, No. 254, 3/15/1893 p.268


January, 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (mkt) = USD$ 8.

May, 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (mkt) = USD$ 11.50
June, 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (mkt) = USD$ 13.
Late October, 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (mkt) ~ USD$ 25.

January 11, 1890:
 Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 1/11/90; Vol. 49-50, p.77
 

March, 1890: In Philadelphia chemists' circulars, sharply advancing prices (and scarcity) in photographers' platino-salts was noted by early March, 1890. By allusion, the early advance to occurred in sometime in January.




April 12, 1890:
Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 4/12/90; Vol. 49-50, p.440

Mid-May, 1890:
Citation: Western Electrician 5/24/90; p.292


May 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Numismatic) = USD$ 35.77 (£ 7.34)
May 1890: Est. 33.9 g Platinum Medal (Numismatic) = USD$ 39. (£ 8.)






July 12, 1890:

Citation: Anthony's Photographic Bulletin, Vol. 21, No.13. 7/12/1890; p.390

 
c.August, 1890: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Semi-Mfg, Trade) = USD$ 19.20

Citation: Price list of physicians' supplies [manufactured by] Chas. Truax & Co. (1890) p.113

July, 1890: Erroneous, old price


October 6, 1890:
Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 10/6/90; Vol. 49-50, p.469


Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 10/11/90; p.434

 
December, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Semi-Mfg, whols.) ~ USD$ 9.
 c.September, 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Semi-Mfg, whols.) = USD$ 20.

c. 10/1/1890:


Late October, 1890: Platinum More Expensive Than Gold! 

Citation: Anthony's Photographic Bulletin, Vol. 21, No.21; 11/12/1890; p.648

 
Late October, 1890: Platinum wire nearly 300% more expensive
 
Citation: The Telegraphic Journal & Electrical Review, 1890; pp.
 

 
November 8, 1890:
Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 11/8/90; Vol. 49-50, p.564
 
December 6, 1890:
Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 12/6/90; Vol. 49-50, p.668
 

December 27, 1890:
Citation: Engineering and Mining Journal, 12/27/90; Vol. 49-50, p.760


USGS briefly summarized the Platinum Spike, 1889-90:



1889-91: Destabilization of the Silver Standard may have encouraged a form of commodity speculation in Russia, particularly for those merchant houses trading heavily with the USA.





1890/1: Base-metals didn't witness a price-hike, either.

The price of Platinum rose dramatically in 1889, evidently an attempt at 'cornering the market.' It was suggested that dental patent holders & manufacturers were the culprits, in the 50% price hike.

1888/9: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured, wholesale) ~ USD$ 15.00

Citation: See @nd Ed., Dental chemistry and metallurgy, Clifford Mitchell (1889) Page 200?


1889: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured, wholesale) = USD$ 14.- 16.

Citation: The Electrical engineer, Vol. 6 (1890) p.564







Citation: Pacific Coast Dentist, Vol. 2, Southern California Dental Association (1893) p.130

May 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Pt (Source) = USD$ 11.50

Citation: Western Electrician, Vol. 6 5/24/1890 p.292
 

 Early 1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mkt) = USD$ 17.

c. mid-1890:

 

1890: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (1890 Peak) = USD$ 22.

Summer 1890 (UK):

1890: