Pre-1800: Refined Platinum as expensive as Gold

Unknown: 'Dutch forgers' created fake Gold coins.   There was clearly a black market for platina.

Citation: Diccionario universal de Física, Vol. 7 ;Mathurin-Jacques Brisson, 1801 p.457


1780: Population in Citara (Quibdo) neglible; 1,500 c.1850
Citation: Rough notes on an exploration for an inter-oceanic canal route ... ; John Cresson Trautwine (1854) p.37
 

Platina accumulated as waste at Quibdo, prior to 1780:


1785:

The high cost of Platinum may be ascertained from the specula of period telescopes, an extraordinarily expensive item in the late 18th C.

1800:

London, 1780s - 90s: Platinum as expensive as Gold.



At the Royal School of Minerolgy in Madrid, from 1787 - 1808 Chabaneau reportedly produced 14,000 - 18,000 Troy Oz. of refined Platinum annually.

1783:


1785-9:





1800:

c.1798:

Citation: The Philosophical magazine: comprehending the various branches of ..., Volume 6 (1800) p.1

Citation: The National register (1830) p. 365

1787-1802: Telescopes specula not pure Platinum


In December 1789, Jeannetty claimed to sell Platinum for 30 Livres Tournois per Once. 
Where 6 Crowns = 30 Livres or 30.48 Livres per Ozt., there were 7.225 ozt Ag per Ozt Pt.

In Philadelphia money, £2.27 per Ozt. Pt.



At the presumed rate of ~USD $12.08/libra castellano, this citation in Pounds Sterling appears to be the highest Colombian source price for the period.

c.1765
LF Capitán-Vallvey (PMR, 1989) notes the Gold-refining cost for platina-gold ore was 3 reales, 12 maravedis per castellano, or

~1765: 1 Troy ounce of Platinum (refining cost) @ Colombia ~S$ 2.33

c.1760: platina price rose much higher than the price of Silver (-1755?)

c.1757: 1 troy ounce of platina (ore) @ Paris ~Fr 160. (USD$ 29.10)

Citation: The Journal of science and the arts, Vol. 3, By Royal Institution of Great Britain, p.259

c.1749 : Platina about the same price as Silver, in the Spanish West Indies.
 

A gentleman of Jamaica bought five pounds of it at Carthagena for less than it's weight of silver ; and it was formerly sold for a much lower price. 

Where 5 Lbs avd. (= 5 Libras = 72.92 Ozt = 2.268 Kgs) and J£ 1.40 = £ 1. 





1726: