5 per cent., and sometimes 3 or 4 per cent.
Now, this Deville proposes to deal with in the dry way, in the place of
dealing with it by any acid.
I have here another kind of platinum; and I shew it to you for this
reason. The Russian Government, having large stores of platinum in their
dominions, have obtained it in a metallic state, and worked it into coin.
The coin I have in my hand is a twelve silver rouble piece. The rouble is
worth three shillings, and this coin is, therefore, of the value of
thirty-six shillings. The smaller coin is worth half that sum; and the
other, half of that. The metal, however, is unfit for coinage. When you
have the two metals, gold and silver, used for coinage, you have a little
confusion in the value of the two in the market; but when you have three
precious metals (for you may call platinum a precious metal) worked into
coin, they will be sure to run counter to one another. Indeed, the case
did happen, that the price of platinum coin fixed by the Government was
such, that it was worth while to purchase platinum in other countries, and
make coin of it, and then take it into that country and circulate it. The
result was, that the Russian Government stopped the issue. The composition
of this coin is--platinum, 97.
Pages:
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154