France, 1792: Platina; Discourse on Money

Where the Paris Marc (0.24475 Kg) = 7.86889533 Ozt., 28 Marcs = 6.853 Kg or 220.33 Ozt.

Lavoisier had bought from Breguet in January 1792, "28 Marcs of platina at 9 Livres per Once, which comes to a sum of 2,016 Livres Tournois."

1792: 1 Troy Ounce platina (Paris: whols, 75% ore) = L.T. 9.15
1792: 1 Troy Ounce platina (Paris: Pt at purity) = L.T. 12.20
1792: 1 Troy Ounce Pt (Paris: Labor) = L.T. 10.574


 





 

Recent Annual PMG Prices

New York Dealers' Prices 1998-2008

USA, 1900s: PGMs

1897: 1 Troy Ounce of Platinum (US, refined, whols.) = $ 15. - 16.

1907?: 1 Troy Ounce of Platinum (US, refined, whols.) = $ 38.

1910: 1 Troy Ounce of Platinum (US, refined, whols.) = $ 34.

1912:

UK, 1862-90: Johnson & Matthey's monopoly

ref

Citation: The Journal of industrial and engineering chemistry, Vol. 10, By American Chemical Society (1918) p.920

Citation: Treatise on general and industrial inorganic chemistry, Volume 1, By Ettore Molinari, Thomas Henry Pope, (1920), p.853

UK, 1862/1864: Platinum Still

1862: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (refined, retail) = £ 1.20 (USD$ 6.67)

1862: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (refined, wholesale?) = £ 1.18 (USD$ 6.57)

1862: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined,whols.) = £ 1.35 - 1.50 (USD$ 7.51 - 8.34)

Boiler: £ 1,500. (1,250 ounces, troy?)

Boiler: £ 350. (291.7 ounces, troy?)

Boiler: £ 120. (100 ounces, troy?)

Citation: Handbook to the industrial department of the International exhibition, 1862, By Robert Hunt (186?) p.22

1862, 1864:

1864:

1868:

France, 1889: Metals Compared

1889: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wholesale) = Fr 27.99 (USD$ 5.42)
1889: 1 Troy Oz. Gold (Wholesale) = Fr 107.87 (USD$ 20.886) 

1889: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wholesale) = Fr 34.21 (USD$ 6.62)
 
1890: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wholesale) = Fr 74.65 (USD$ )
1890: 1 Troy Oz. Gold (Wholesale) = Fr 107.93 (USD$ ) 
 
1891: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wholesale) = Fr 45.10 (USD$ ) 
1891: 1 Troy Oz. Gold (Wholesale) = Fr 108.365 (USD$ )  

Citation: Commission Permanente des Valeurs de Douane (1890)








1889: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Wholesale) = Fr 34.21 (USD$ 6.62)  

Citation: Revue philomathique de Bordeaux et du Sud-Ouest, Vol. 1 (1898) p.314


October 1890:

12/1889: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Ingot) = Fr 34.21 (USD$ 6.625)





1889: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Retail?) = Fr 37.635 (USD$ 7.287)


Citation: Traité des gîtes minéraux et métallifères, recherches, étude et ..., Vol. 2; Edmond Fuchs, Louis Launay (1892) p. 995

1889: 1 Troy Oz. Ruthenium = Fr 822.08 (USD$ 159.17) 
1889: 1 Troy Oz. Palladium = Fr 482.43 (USD$ 93.41)
1889: 1 Troy Oz. Osmium = Fr 446.25 (USD$ 86.41)  
1889: 1 Troy Oz. Iridium = Fr 373.25 (USD$ 72.27)

Citation: Année industrielle (1890) p.124 

1890:



In 1889, when Platinum was not less than Fr 30./Ozt in bulk, the number of circulating Counterfeit Fr 20 (Platinum Gilts) was estimated at 1: 18,689, a -58.4% decline in one year.  

Of 4,115,650 French coins, 363 were Pt counterfeit (8.82 per 100,000) in 1889.
Of 6,132,136 French coins, 225 were Pt counterfeit (3.67 per 100,000) in 1890.


Citation: Annual Report of the Director of the Mint (1891) p.288


 

Citation: L'Économiste français: journal hebdomadaire, Vol. 2; Paul Leroy-Beaulieu 8/15/1891 p.206


In 1893, of  , only 2 Counterfeits were detected. 

Of 41,713 Fr 20 examined, 1 was (Pt?) counterfeit (2.40 per 100,000) in 1893.

 
 

France, 1892: Iridium, Osmium

1890?: 1 Troy Ounce Iridium ~ Fr 373.20 (USD$ 72.46)
1893/4: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum ~ Fr 90. (USD$ 17.50)
1895: 1 Troy Oz. Iridium = USD$ 15.

Citation: Proceedings: General index to volumes one to fifty of the Proceedings ; American Pharmaceutical Association (1894) p.1041


Citation: Revue des questions scientifiques, Vol. 33-34, Société scientifique de Bruxelles, Union catholique des scientifiques français (1893)p.691


Citation: Boletin de Minas, Industria y Construcciones (1892) Peru.

2/24/1892:





Most likely a typo, the price of Osmium was Fr 15,000./kg, not 1,500. Had the price dropped ~90% (well-below Platinum) in two years, such a crash would have been noteworthy and occasioned suggestions that Osmium was 'much less costly' (w/explanations why.)

1889: 1 Troy Ounce Osmium = Fr 446.25 (USD$ 86.25)

c.1891/2:

1892: 1 Ozt. Osmium (pure, lowest price) = Fr 466.60 (USD$ 90.60)

Citation: Chemical news and journal of industrial science, Vol. 67 ; Sir William Crookes (1893), p.173