Austria, 1838

DSQ
Advertised at Gold Coin Rates; adjust to Paper Rates as necessary. 

1833: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (London Mfg, Ret.) = Fl. 14.37  (£ 1.50) 
1836: 1 Ozt. Platinum (London: Fine Wire Ret.) = Fl. 16.68 (£ 1.75) 
c.1839: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Paris Mfg, Bulk) = Fl. 11.20 (Fr 30.48) 
1838:  1 Ozt. Platinum (USA: Semi-Mfg, Imp.) =  Fl. 20.785 (USD$ 10.)

1837:  1 Ozt. Platinum (SPb: Coined, Silver Rate) = Thlr. 6.91 (~$ 6.72) 
1838:  1 Ozt. Platinum (SPb: Coined, Silver Rate) = Fl. 13.82 ($7.02)

1833: 1 Ozt. Pt (SPb: Coined, Silver Rate) ~ Fl. 10.60 


1836/7: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Germany: Intrinsic, Retail) =  (Thlr. 11.70) 

Identical prices for some Platinum-Ware (See 'Evaporating-Basin') in the 1832 Batka Catalogue suggest stable retail prices.   Platinum-ware was ~6x more expensive than Silver-ware.

Taking the Unze (2x Loth @16.07719 Gr. =) @32.1544 Grams; (106.) Sheet and Wire,

1838: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Prag: Semi-Mfg) = Fl. 14.51 (£ 1.5158)
($ 7.07-7.29; Avg. $7.17; 7.00)  

Abfälle zum Auflösen 11 fl. die Unze (Scrap Sold for Fl. 11./Unze)

1837: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Scrap: Sold) = Fl. 10.64 (5.47/ $5.34) (£ 1.1115)
1838: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Scrap: Sold) = Fl. 10.64 ($5.1926; £ 1.1115)
($ 5.18-5.35; 5.26/ $5.13) 

(1069.) Crucibles, of every type and mode, Fl. .50/Gram
1838: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Mfg : Crucible, Ret.) = Fl. 15.5517 ($7.589; £ 1.6246) 
(USD$ 7.39-7.63; 7.69/ $7.50) 

Citation: Annalen der Pharmacie, Vol. 27 (1838), pp.

Paris, 1824: Palladium Bowl

Described in 1851 a s 1 Kilogram, is was likely 900 Ounces.



Value?

France, 1816: Platinum Stills, Paris Price Falls >50% from 1811

In 1816, the price of refined Platinum fell from ~Fr 15.75/once to Fr 14., an -11% decline. MM. Cuoq and Couturier, w. M. Bréant, greatly reduced the market price for all Platinum products in late 1816/early 1817, as noted in a Silver Medal awarded early in 1818.

c. January, 1816:
Including accessories, Jeannetty's 1816 boiler had a Platinum weight per Litre of 6.3143 Troy Ounces; the amount of Litres contained per Troy Ounce was 0.1584 Litres.  

Citation: Bulletin universel des sciences et de l'industrie: Bulletin des ..., Vol. 5, (1829) p.390.

January, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Refined) ~ Fr 15.5 (£ 0.648)

January, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Semi-Mfg) ~ Fr 16.52 (£ 0.69)
January, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (assembly) ~ Fr 4. (£ 0.166) 
January, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mfg, Bulk) = Fr. 20.34 (£ 0.8437)


c. April, 1816: 
Jacques Jouard was an Assayer in Geneva, his gift of a Platinum still was in early 1816. weighing 48.566 ozt.  Where 40 Louis d'Or @ Fr 24. = Fr 960., April Prices

"Mr. Jouard, a Geneva chemist, presented to our group promoting the arts in the city, a vase in platinum to be used for refining gold. It consumed 50 Onces of this metal, which cost 16 Francs, so that this vessel, including the cost of manufacture, is valued at 40 Louis."

Citation: Le Constitutionnel: journal du commerce, politique et littéraire; No. 133 (May 1816)


April, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (refined) ~ Fr 15.25 (£ 0.618)

April, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Semi-Mfg) = Fr 16.25 (£ 0.663)
April, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Pt (assembly) = Fr 3.50 (£ 0.1426)
April, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mfg, Bulk) = Fr 19.768 (£ 0.805)

c. December, 1816: 
December, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Semi-Mfg) = Fr 15.25 (£ 0.608) 
December, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Semi-Mfg, Bulk) = Fr 14.23 (£ 0.567)
December, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (assembly) ~ Fr 4.07 (£ 0.162)
December, 1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Mfg, Bulk) = Fr 18.30 (£ 0.729)

Citation: Traité complet de l'art du dentiste d'après l'état actuel des connaissances ... (1828) F. Maury p.?


As reported in the annual notes for April 1816 - March 1817, the boiler was probably constructed in December 1816.


Citation: Journal de pharmacie et des sciences accessoires, Vol.3, No.3 (March 1817), p.142
 

1816/7: First Large French Still, sold by the Magasin of Cuoq et Couturier, of Bréant's Platinum

Jeannetty et Fils were forced to lower their prices with the over-supply of platina in the Paris market, a singular event occasioned by the Spanish Government liquidating its stock of nearly 1,000 kgs. of the ore.  The Boiler Price, in units of Platinum, fell by half:

1811: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured) = Fr. 36.57 (USD$ 7.84)
1815: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured) = Fr. 24.38 (USD$ 4.30)
1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured) ~ Fr. 18.30 (USD$ 3.40)
1816/7: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured) ~ Fr. 17.30. (USD$ 3.20)

c.1811-7
Citation: Nouveau dictionnaire d'histoire naturelle, appliquée aux arts..., Vol. 26; Charles S. Sonnini (1818) p. 383


Where 5.5 kgs = 176.83 ozt, the weights do not match.  Platinum @ Fr 654/kg appears to be an early 1816 price, however.

1811: Jannetty's boilers, by weight
Citation: Dictionnaire chronologique et raisonné des découvertes: inventions.., Vol. 13; p.490 (1824)



1816/7:
Complete with accessories, Cuoq & Couturier's 1816/7 still had a Platinum weight per Litre of 3.114 Troy Ounces; the amount of Litres contained per Troy Ounce was 0.3211 Litres.

1816/7: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mfg, bulk rate) = Fr 18.06 (USD$ 3.96)
1817: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mfg, still) = Fr 20.04 (USD$ 3.73)
1816/7: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mkt) = Fr 20.34 (USD$ 4.)



1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (market?) = Fr. 14. (USD$ 3.07)

1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (manufactured) = Fr. 18. (USD$ 3.95)
1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (producer) = Fr. 14. (USD$ 3.07)
1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (sponge)  = Fr 15.24 (£ 0.6171)
1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (sheet)  = Fr 18.29  (£ 0.7370)
1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (semi-mfg) = Fr 16.25 (USD$ 3.56)
1816: 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (mfg) = Fr 18.55 (USD$ 4.07)

1816: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (semi-mfg) = Fr 16.25 (£ 0.655)

1817: The Platinum Price had fallen by 50% (from 1811) but the ore price had greatly risen.





1815/6 news from Brazil

 

Citation: Supplemente zu dem chemischen Wörterbuche, Vol. 3; Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1817) p.168



1817:

Citation: The philosophical magazine and journal, Volume 49 Andrew Tilloch, Richard Taylor, 1817, p.463.

1817:
Citation: Journal de pharmacie et des sciences accessoires, Volume 3 (1817) p. 142

In the last meeting of the Society of Arts and encouragement of commercial diligence to Paris, the largest vessel of its Platina was presented, which has been manufactured to date. It weighs 15 kilograms or 30 pounds, has a capacity of 120 Litres, and the board is completely cleansed of foreign metals (osmium, iridium, rhodium and palladium), which his Hammerbarkeit which characterized the metal most harm.

1817:
The amount of refined Platinum Breant's 1817 still by weight per Litre was 4.0192 Troy Ounces; the amount of Litres contained per Troy Ounce was 0.2488 Litres.

March, 1817:

c.1818:

Copper-clad vessels:

From Annales des mines, ou Recueil de mémoires sur l'exploitation des..., Vol. 3; Commission des Annales des mines (1818), the imports of platina fell dramatically in 1816-7, 2.5 kilograms each year.

1818:
Before the addition of any siphon or accessory, Cuoq, Couturier & Cie's 1818 Platinum still appears to be ~17% lighter/ more economical than Wollaston's first still. The approximate amount of refined Platinum by weight per Litre was 2.9772 Troy Ounces; the amount of Litres contained per Troy Ounce was 0.3359 Litres.

1818:

England: Weights

1821:



10 cc = ~2.82 Drachm, etc.
Citation: Reports from Committees, 1862

 

1881: 

Where 1 US Gallon has 128 Fluid Ounces @231 Cu.In., 1 Fluid Ounce = 1.8046875 Cu.In. (53.3681 cc) and 0.554112554 Fluid Ounce = 1.0 Cu.In., and

where 1 Imperial Gallon has 160 Imperial Fluid Ounces @277.274 Cu.In., 1 Imperial Fluid Ounce = 1.7329625 Cu.In. (49.21 cc) and 0.577046532 Imperial Fluid Ounce = 1.0 Cu.In. 

1 Cu.In. = 16.386176 cc, 30 cc = 1.056463445 Cu.In.
 

 

Austria, 1832

DSQ 

1822: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Vienna: Mfg, Retail) = Fl C.M. 26.745
 
 

"W. Batka" = Wenzel Batka in Prague 

c.1834/5

 
Druggist W. Batka in Prague sold "Fine" Platinum Wire/Sheet by the "Gran" {Wiener Medicinalgewicht = 0.0729 Gram} for Gold Fl. 0.05, and 'Thick' Platinum Wire/Sheet by the {Prager Handelgewicht}"Loth" ~16.077 Grammes} for Gold Fl. 9, incidentally more expensive than Platinumware:

1831/2 1 Troy Ounce Platinum (Semi-Mfg: Fine Wire)  Fl. 21.33 ($ 10.37)
1831/2 1 Ozt. Platinum (Semi-Mfg: Wire/Sheet)  Fl. 17.41 ($ 8.33)
1831/2 1 Ozt. Platinum (Theoretical: Crucible)  Fl. 22.22 ($ 10.63)

{Assuming the Austrian Weight of "1 Unze Inhalt" contains ~27.6 Grams Water, establishing the weight of the dish remains speculative, the thinnest manufacture weighing as little as ~ 10-12 Grams?}  

At the estimated Silver Rate for Platinum Coin,  
1831/2 1 Ozt. Platinum (Coin-Silver Rate)  Fl. 13.32 ($ 6.37)

Directory of the latest chemical and pharmaceutical implements with pictures from Druggist Wholesaler W. Batka in Prague. (1831/2?) Edited occasion of the Assembly of German Natural Scientists in Vienna, 1832. {Also referred to as "Le Catalogue des instrumens chimiques et pharmaceutiques de W. Batka," à Prague. In Octavo, Vienne, 1832.}

Catalogue: Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Physical Instruments from Trade-Merchant Wenzel Batka in Prague, Bergstein-Strasse No. 357. (20 Guilders Coin, to purchase.)

Abdampfkessel = (15cm dia.) Silver Evaporating-Boiler (lid?) 
Abdampfschalen = (15cm dia.) Platinum Evaporating-Basin (no lid?)


109. Crucible, together with lid, Contents 1-4 Unzen, per Gramme {Fl. 0.50}
1832: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Mfg: Ware) = Fl. 15.5517 ($ 7.44) 

109. Crucible, for Annealing, {per Loth @16.07719 Grms} Fl. 8 - 10.
1832: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Ware: Economical Mfg.) = Fl. 15.4771 ($ 7.41)
1832: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Ware: Complicated Mfg.) = Fl. 19.3463 ($ 9.26)

"In addition to these, all orders for technical large-scale apparatus are received economically, with old Platinum accepted in payment."

  Citation: Annalen der Physik; Johann Christian Poggendorff  Vol. 26 (1832) p.585





c.1850: Strange and possibly very dated Price-Quotes.
 

1849: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (semi-mfg: Sheet &Wire) = Fl 19.13 (USD$ 7.50)

1849: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (pure) = Fl 20.87 (USD$ 8.24)

1849: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (coined) = Fl 12.52 (USD$ 4.95)

1849: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Paris mfg) = Fr 31.10; ~ Fl 14.81 / USD$ 5.94

1849: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Russian ore) = Fl 8.50 (USD$ 3.36)
1849: 1 Troy Oz. platina (Russian ore) = Fl 7.44 (USD$ 2.84)

18?? 1 Ozt. Platinum (Semi-Mfg: Wire/Sheet)  Fl. 17.77 (??)

 
Citation: Allgemeine Waren-Fabrikaten- u. Maschinen: Waren-Preis von u. für Deutschland (1850) p.64

1857 reprint?

c.1833/4: Wien Goldsmiths selling Platinum Jewelry:

Colombia, 1808

In 1808 a Platinum Medal was issued by the Royal Ensign, Manuel Antonio Tenorio y Carvajal proclaiming loyalty to King Ferdinand VII.   This appears to by the only Platinum medal fabricated in Popayan, so rare that it is now unknown or lost. It is not entirely clear that this was manufactured at Casa de Moneda de Popayán; José Peña was a well-known skilled local silversmith.





La pieza de Medina, que personalmente me inclino a creer que se trata de una pieza única y realizada para ser entregada a alguna autoridad (quizás al mismo Tenorio), se trata a mi entender de un trabajo de joyería.  Me baso para ello en el hecho de que ya en el mismo reinado de Carlos IV (1790) se "acuñaron" juras por orden del Alférez Real Tenorio y también en 1808 se hicieron "acuñar" piezas a nombre de Fernando VII (Medina N° 214 y N° 344 respectivamente... de su colección, encontramos no una, sino dos juras de Popayán a Fernando VII, "hechas por Cordero y por Peña"

The piece by Medina, which I am personally inclined to believe is unique and made to be given to some authority (perhaps the same Tenorio), is in my opinion a work of jewelry. I base this on the fact that already in the reign of Charles IV (1790) were "coined "Proclaimed by order of the Lieutenant Real Tenorio and in 1808 became" coining "pieces in the name of Fernando VII (Medina No. 214 and No. 344 respectively... of his collection, we found not one but two Popayan proclaimed Fernando VII, "made by Cordero and by Peña"
 
62mm, theoretically ~78 g, indicated as "79 g" 
{Unlikely, "Size 62" perhaps ~97mm, 3.82 inches}

PROCLAMADO
POR.
TENORIO.
EN
POPAYAN  
A 29. DE
OCTUBRE
AÑO DE 1808

HECHO EN PLATINA PURA POR CORDERO Y POR PEÑA.
Citation: American Journal of Numismatics, Vol 34, No.2  Ed. William S. Appleton, (Oct. 1899) p.42
 





 

Switzerland, 1897

If the republished article was correct with the Swiss Scrap rate, the metal merchants offered (Bid) only 50% of the US/global market rate.

1897: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Paris: Ingot, Mkt) = Fr 62.21 (USD$ 12.16) 
Mid-1897?: 1 Troy Oz. Platinum (Semi-Mfg, Retail) = USD$ 15.55
 
Apparently, Scrap Bid was half-retail.  To dealers, the counterfeit FFr 20 (assumed 6.45 g.) was worth SFr 8. (USD$ 1.542), or about USD$ 7.75.

1897: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Geneve: Scrap Bid, Mkt) = Fr 38.60 (USD$ 7.45)


1897: 1 Ozt. Platinum (Geneve: Scrap Bid, Mkt) = Fr 38.57 (USD$ 7.96)

Where a true mint state FFr 20. (Napoleon III, 1866A and anchor : cf. Fr.584; cf. KM.801.1) should weigh 6.451 g, a true example worn to this grade might weigh 6.43 g.  This slightly crude counterfeit in Platinum weighs 6.69 g, implying the uncirculated counterfeit originally weighed 6.80 g., 3.97% overweight.

 
See France, 1890.

c.1893 the French press reported that each spurious Fr 20 netted the counterfeiter Fr. 6; however, the coins had been produced in the 1860-70s yet the total 'first cost' (tools, materials, labor AND secondary/tertiary expenses of the criminal enterprise) is unknown, assumed to be Fr 14.

"Ces pièces reviendraient à 6 francs chacune aux faux monnayeurs qui les mettent en circulation." 

Scrap metal dealers reportedly paid Fr. 8 for 6.45 g;

Counterfeit Fr. 20 coins, first.  Most common are gold-plated Platinum; they are very well-struck; they have the legal weight to about two milligrams; it is not by weighing one can distinguish them. There are even some in the gold {treasury} of the Banque de France. They show the portrait of Napoleon III, various years, uncrowned before 1860, crowned from 1860 to 1870. There are also, but in smaller numbers, with the effigy of the Republic, the years 1873, 1874, 1875 and 1876. 

Here what signs we can ensure that they are false:

Uncrowned Coins. - The sound resembles Silver, clearer and brighter than true coin. On the edge, the words "Dieu protège la France" are almost illegible; the characters are hackly.  The {Obverse} effigy lacks relief; the hair-parting forms an overly accentuated bar, the face is too full, the ear too crushed, the goatee raised in point instead of falling right.  The letters of the epigraph are smaller.  On the Reverse, the characters "20 FR" are too big and weapons are too flat.

Crowned Coins. - The Emperor's head is shorter; the laurels are thicker. Same defects as the former.

Coins of the Republic. - On the Obverse, right leg of the Génie seems broken and presents a slight break in continuity.

We must keep close watch on the whole to collect all these irregularities. The weak point of this counterfeit lies entirely in the gold plate cladding the Platinum. This layer wears off from the first friction and shows the white color of the Platinum on the high points of the edge. The edge - so that's what must be examined - and the letters of the edge. These Platinum counterfeit Fr. 20 coins are, of course, cut at the counters of large administrations. Metal dealers then buy them for Frcs 8.  There are also Fr 20 coins with a copper core but so well imitated that one cannot recognize them at first sight. It is their weight that betrays them: they are a third lighter than those that are good; finally, they have a strange sound.  As for the counterfeit  Fr. 10 coins, they have the same features as those of Fr. 20. But they are far less numerous, because their first-cost does not leave sufficient profit - and the risks are the same.

Citation: Revue suisse de numismatique, Vol. 7 (1898) p.417