Precious metal

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Gold nugget GoldNuggetUSGOV.jpg
Gold nugget
A selection of precious metal elements; gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, osmium, iridium and mercury. They are labeled and arranged by their location on the periodic table. Edelmetalle.jpg
A selection of precious metal elements; gold, silver, platinum, palladium, copper, ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, osmium, iridium and mercury. They are labeled and arranged by their location on the periodic table.

Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Precious metals, particularly the noble metals, are more corrosion resistant and less chemically reactive than most elements. They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. Historically, precious metals were important as currency but they are now regarded mainly as investment and industrial raw materials. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium each have an ISO 4217 currency code.

Contents

The best known precious metals are the precious coinage metals, which are gold and silver. Although both have industrial uses, they are better known for their uses in art, jewelry, and coinage. Other precious metals include the platinum group metals: ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, of which platinum is the most widely traded. [1] The demand for precious metals is driven not only by their practical use but also by their role as investments and a store of value. Historically, precious metals have commanded much higher prices than common industrial metals.

Bullion

1,000 oz silver bar 1000oz.silver.bullion.bar.top.jpg
1,000 oz silver bar

A metal is deemed to be precious if it is rare. The discovery of new sources of ore or improvements in mining or refining processes may cause the value of a precious metal to diminish. The status of a "precious" metal can also be determined by high demand or market value. Precious metals in bulk form are known as bullion and are traded on commodity markets. Bullion metals may be cast into ingots or minted into coins. The defining attribute of bullion is that it is valued by its mass and purity rather than by a face value as money.

Purity and mass

500 g silver bullion bar produced by Johnson Matthey Johnson Matthey 500 grammes silver bullion.jpg
500 g silver bullion bar produced by Johnson Matthey

The level of purity varies from issue to issue. "Three nines" (99.9%) purity is common. The purest mass-produced bullion coins are in the Canadian Gold Maple Leaf series, which go up to 99.999% purity. A 100% pure bullion is nearly impossible: as the percentage of impurities diminishes, it becomes progressively more difficult to purify the metal further. Historically, coins had a certain amount of weight of alloy, with the purity a local standard. The Krugerrand is the first modern example of measuring in "pure gold": it should contain at least 12⁄11 ounces of at least 11⁄12 pure gold. Other bullion coins (for example the British Sovereign) show neither the purity nor the fine-gold weight on the coin but are recognized and consistent in their composition.[ citation needed ] Many coins historically showed a denomination in currency (example: American double eagle: $20).

Coinage

1 oz Vienna Philharmonic gold coin Philharmoniker 99 front.jpg
1 oz Vienna Philharmonic gold coin

Many nations mint bullion coins. Although nominally issued as legal tender, these coins' face value as currency is far below their value as bullion. For instance, Canada mints a gold bullion coin (the Gold Maple Leaf) at a face value of $50 containing one troy ounce (31.1035 g) of gold, as of January 2022. The USD to CAD exchange rate averaged 1.129 in July 2009 according to OANDA Historical Exchange Rates. Although the exact moment that the $1,075 figure[ clarification needed ] was determined is unknown, it may be considered a reasonable value for the time. Bullion coins' minting by national governments gives them some numismatic value in addition to their bullion value, as well as certifying their purity.

American Platinum Eagle bullion coin 2005 AEPlat Proof Obv.png
American Platinum Eagle bullion coin

One of the largest bullion coins in the world was the 10,000-dollar Australian Gold Nugget coin minted in Australia, which consists of a full kilogram of 99.9% pure gold. In 2012, the Perth Mint produced a 1-tonne coin of 99.99% pure gold with a face value of $1 million AUD, making it the largest minted coin in the world with a gold value of around $50 million AUD. [2] China has produced coins in very limited quantities (less than 20 pieces minted) that exceed 8 kilograms (260 ozt) of gold.[ citation needed ] Austria has minted a coin containing 31 kg of gold (the Vienna Philharmonic Coin minted in 2004 with a face value of 100,000 euro). As a stunt to publicise the 99.999% pure one-ounce Canadian Gold Maple Leaf series, in 2007 the Royal Canadian Mint made a 100 kg 99.999% gold coin, with a face value of $1 million, and now manufactures them to order, but at a substantial premium over the market value of the gold. [3] [4]

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe mints the gold Mosi-oa-Tunya (coin) which is recognized as legal tender at the market value for its gold content. [5]

Economic use

Gold and silver, and sometimes other precious metals, are often seen as defensive assets against both inflation and economic downturn. Silver coins have become popular with collectors due to their relative affordability, and, unlike most gold and platinum issues which are valued based upon the markets, silver issues are more often valued as collectibles, at far higher than their bullion value. [6]

Industrial use

Platinum and palladium are key catalysts in hydrogenation reactions and emission-reducing catalytic converters, [7] while gold is used in oxidation reactions and nanotechnology due to its stability. [8] Platinum group metals(PGMs) have been used in the production of sulfuric and nitric acid for centuries. [9] Additionally, gold and silver nanoparticles are used in biosensors and solar cells, underscoring their value in sustainable technologies. [10]

Cultural and artistic use

Precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum have been used for millennia to create objects of cultural and artistic significance. In jewelry, they are a cornerstone for crafting wedding bands, engagement rings, and ceremonial adornments, often symbolizing love, commitment, and social status. [11] [12] [13]

Beyond jewelry, these metals are employed in fine art, including sculptures, decorative artifacts, and religious icons, showcasing their versatility and aesthetic appeal. Wedding bands, in particular, remain a significant driver of demand for gold and platinum, blending economic and cultural value. [14] [15]

As modern tastes evolve, the use of recycled metals and innovative designs has brought a sustainable dimension to their cultural and artistic applications, reflecting contemporary values while maintaining their historical significance.

Aluminium

Aluminium is now commonplace but was considered to be a precious metal until the late 1800s. Although aluminium is the third most abundant element and the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, it was at first found to be exceedingly difficult to extract the metal from its various non-metallic ores. The great expense of refining the metal made the small available quantity of pure aluminium more valuable than gold. [16] Bars of aluminium were exhibited at the Exposition Universelle of 1855, [17] and Napoleon III's most important guests were given aluminium cutlery, while those less worthy dined with mere silver. [16] In 1884, the pyramidal capstone of the Washington Monument was cast of 100 ounces of pure aluminium. By that time, aluminium was as expensive as silver. [18] The statue of Anteros atop the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain (1885–1893) in London's Piccadilly Circus is also of cast aluminium. Over time, however, the price of the metal has dropped. The dawn of commercial electric generation in 1882 and the invention of the Hall–Héroult process in 1886 caused the price of aluminium to drop substantially over a short period of time. [19]

Rough world market price ($/kg)

Rhodium daily price 1992-2022 Rhodium daily Price 1992-2022.webp
Rhodium daily price 1992-2022
Price of gold 1915-2022 Price of gold.webp
Price of gold 1915-2022
Palladium prices 1977-2022 Palladium Prices.webp
Palladium prices 1977-2022
MetalMass
abundance
(ppb) [20] 		Metal price (US$/kg)
NameSymbol10 Apr 2009
[21] 		22 Jul 2009
[22] 		7 Jan 2010
[ citation needed ]		31 Dec 2014
[23] 		16 Jul 2018
[24] [ unreliable source? ]		2 Mar 2023
[25]
Rhodium Rh139,68046,20088,41539,64177,804 [26] 302,220
Platinum Pt542,68137,65087,74138,90228,96031,010
Gold Au431,10030,59024,31738,13043,76459,040
Palladium Pd158,4308,14013,63225,55932,20546,440
Iridium Ir114,10012,96013,11715,43246,940 [27] 147,890
Osmium Os1.513,40012,20012,21712,217
Rhenium Re0.77,4007,0006,2502,425
Ruthenium Ru12,2902,7305,5621,8658,423 [28] 14,950
Germanium Ge1,5001,050 [29] 1,038
Beryllium Be2,800850
Silver Ag75437439588441556670
Indium In50 [30] 325 [29] 520
Gallium Ga19,000580425 [29] 413
Tellurium Te1158.70
Bismuth Bi8.515.4018.19
Mercury Hg8518.9015.95

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palladium</span> Chemical element with atomic number 46 (Pd)

Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Pallas. Palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium form a group of elements referred to as the platinum group metals (PGMs). They have similar chemical properties, but palladium has the lowest melting point and is the least dense of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Canadian Mint</span> National mint that produces Canadian coins

The Royal Canadian Mint is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under the Royal Canadian Mint Act. The shares of the mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullion</span> Gold, silver, or other precious metals in the form of bars or ingots

Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver. It comes from the Anglo-Norman term for a melting-house where metal was refined, and earlier from French bouillon, "boiling". Although precious metal bullion is no longer used to make coins for general circulation, it continues to be held as an investment with a reputation for stability in periods of economic uncertainty. To assess the purity of gold bullion, the centuries-old technique of fire assay is still employed, together with modern spectroscopic instrumentation, to accurately determine its quality.

The fineness of a precious metal object represents the weight of fine metal therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardness and durability of coins and jewelry, alter colors, decrease the cost per weight, or avoid the cost of high-purity refinement. For example, copper is added to the precious metal silver to make a more durable alloy for use in coins, housewares and jewelry. Coin silver, which was used for making silver coins in the past, contains 90% silver and 10% copper, by mass. Sterling silver contains 92.5% silver and 7.5% of other metals, usually copper, by mass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Gold Eagle</span> Gold bullion coin of the United States

The American Gold Eagle is an official gold bullion coin of the United States. Authorized under the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985, it was first released by the United States Mint in 1986. Because the term "eagle" also is the official United States designation for the pre-1933 ten dollar gold coin, the weight of the bullion coin is typically used when describing American Gold Eagles to avoid confusion with the pre-1933 coins. This is particularly true with the 1/4-oz American Gold Eagle, which has a marked face value of ten dollars, the same as that of its predecessor.

The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf (GML) is a gold bullion coin that is issued annually by the Government of Canada. It is produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.

A bullion coin is a coin struck from highly refined precious metal (bullion) and kept as a store of value or an investment rather than used in day-to-day commerce. A bullion coin is distinguished by its weight and fineness on the coin. Unlike rounds, bullion coins are minted by government mints and have a legal tender face value. Bullion coins can have fineness ranging from 91.9% to 99.99% purity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noble (Manx coin)</span>

The Manx Noble are platinum, gold or silver bullion coins distributed by the Isle of Man and minted by private companies. While platinum coins have been minted since the early 1800s, the Noble is the first platinum coin created for investors. The coins are not minted every year, but have an erratic schedule. Nobles are legal tender but they do not have a fixed face value; instead, like the Krugerrand or Mexico's Libertad, they are legal tender to the value of their precious metal content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palladium coin</span>

Palladium coins are a form of coinage made out of the rare silver-white transition metal palladium. Palladium is assigned the code XPD by ISO 4217. The first palladium coins were produced in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver as an investment</span>

Silver may be used as an investment like other precious metals. It has been regarded as a form of money and store of value for more than 4,000 years, although it lost its role as legal tender in developed countries when the use of the silver standard came to an end in 1935. Some countries mint bullion and collector coins, however, such as the American Silver Eagle with nominal face values. In 2009, the main demand for silver was for: industrial applications (40%), jewellery, bullion coins and exchange-traded products. In 2011, the global silver reserves amounted to 530,000 tonnes.

The Canadian Platinum Maple Leaf is the official bullion platinum coin of Canada. First issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1988, it was available until 2002 in five different denominations, all of which are marked as containing .9995 pure platinum. The bullion coin was partly reintroduced in 2009 in the form of the 1 troy ounce denomination in .9999 purity, featuring a new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. The coins have legal tender status in Canada, but as is often the case with bullion coins, the face values of these coins is lower than the market price of the material they are made from.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Platinum as an investment</span>

Investment in platinum is often compared in financial history to gold and silver, which were both known to be used as money in ancient civilizations. Experts posit that platinum is about 15–20 times scarcer than gold and approximately 60–100 times scarcer than silver, on the basis of annual mine production. Since 2014, platinum prices have fallen lower than gold. Approximately 75% of global platinum is mined in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libertad (coin)</span> Mexican bullion coin

The Libertad coins are silver and gold bullion coins originating from Mexico and minted by the Casa de Moneda de México. The Mexican Mint was established in 1535 and is the oldest mint in the Americas. The modern coins contain 99.9% silver or gold and are available in various sizes. Both metal coins have undergone a design change. In 1989, 3,500 1⁄4 ounce Libertad platinum coins were produced. Libertads are devoid of face value, yet are legal tender, still accepted as currency and guaranteed by Banco de México, based on the market value of its gold or silver content.

The coinage metals comprise those metallic chemical elements and alloys which have been used to mint coins. Historically, most coinage metals are from the three nonradioactive members of group 11 of the periodic table: copper, silver and gold. Copper is usually augmented with tin or other metals to form bronze. Gold, silver and bronze or copper were the principal coinage metals of the ancient world, the medieval period and into the late modern period when the diversity of coinage metals increased. Coins are often made from more than one metal, either using alloys, coatings (cladding/plating) or bimetallic configurations. While coins are primarily made from metal, some non-metallic materials have also been used.

The London bullion market is a wholesale over-the-counter market for the trading of gold, silver, platinum and palladium. Trading is conducted amongst members of the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), tightly overseen by the Bank of England. Most of the members are major international banks or bullion dealers and refiners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold coin</span> Coin made from gold

A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22‑karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buffalo. Alloyed gold coins, like the American Gold Eagle and South African Krugerrand, are typically 91.7% gold by weight, with the remainder being silver and copper.

A gold IRA or precious metals IRA is an Individual Retirement Account in which physical gold or other approved precious metals are held in custody for the benefit of the IRA account owner. It functions the same as a regular IRA, only instead of holding paper assets, it holds physical bullion coins or bars. Precious metals IRAs are usually self-directed IRAs, a type of IRA where the custodian allows more diverse investments to be held in the account.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vienna Philharmonic (coin)</span>

The Vienna Philharmonic, often shortened to Philharmonic, is a bullion coin of gold, silver, or platinum produced by the Austrian Mint. The coin is named for the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, which inspired the design of both sides. It was introduced in 1989, as a one-troy ounce (ozt) gold coin with a face value of 2,000 Austrian schillings. It is one of the world's best selling bullion coins. In 2002, with the adoption of the euro currency, the nominal value of the one-ounce coin was changed to 100 euros. In 2008, the Mint introduced a one-ounce silver version of the coin with a nominal value of 1.5 euros. The silver coin is also one of the top selling bullion coins, ranked third in 2013. In 2016, the mint introduced a one-ounce platinum coin with a face value of 100 euros.

PAMP SA is an independent precious metals refining and fabricating company, and a member of the MKS Group. Established in 1977 in Ticino, Switzerland, the company originally started as a minting facility for bars weighing less than 100 grams and as an alloy specialist for the jewelry and luxury watch-making industries. It has since expanded to provide a full range of services, from collecting doré from mines to assaying, hedging, and delivering its bars and other products. PAMP produces bullion bars ranging from 1 gram to 12.5 kilograms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf</span> Official bullion palladium coin of Canada

The Canadian Palladium Maple Leaf is the official bullion palladium coin of Canada. It is issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in .9995 purity. The coins have legal tender status in Canada, but as is often the case with bullion coins, the face values of these coins is lower than the market price of the material they are made from. Unlike the gold, silver and platinum maple leaf series, the palladium maple leaf is subject to the GST/HST tax.

References

  1. ↑ Platinum Guild: Applications Beyond Expectation Archived 2009-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ "Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin". www.perthmint.com.au. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  3. ↑ "the Greatest coined gold in the world". e-allmoney.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  4. ↑ UKBullion (2014). "100kg Fine Gold Coin". Archived from the original on 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
  5. ↑ "Zimbabwe debuts gold coins as legal tender to curb inflation but it may be out of reach for the average citizen". ABC News (Australia). 25 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Aharon DY, and Qadan M. (2018-10-04). "What drives the demand for information in the commodity market?". Resources Policy. 59: 532–543. Bibcode:2018RePol..59..532A. doi:10.1016/j.resourpol.2018.09.013. ISSN   0301-4207. S2CID   158268743.
  7. ↑ Chidunchi, Irina; Kulikov, Maxim (2024). "Extraction of platinum group metals from catalytic converters". Heliyon. 10 (3): e25283. Bibcode:2024Heliy..1025283C. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25283 . PMC   10847661 . PMID   38327460.
  8. ↑ Quanquan, Shi; Youhai, Chio (2021). "Catalytic Application of Well-Defined Au Nanoparticles: Oxidation, Hydrogenation, and Coupling Reactions". Atomically Precise Nanoclusters (1st ed.). Taylor and Francis. pp. 229–254. ISBN   9781003119906.
  9. ↑ Trento, Chin (Dec 27, 2023). "Advantages of Precious Metal Catalysts". Stanford Advanced Ceramics. Retrieved Nov 1, 2024.
  10. ↑ Bhardwaj, Geetika; Kaur, Navneet (2023). "Chapter 3 - Implementation of gold and silver nanoparticles in sensing and bioengineering". Gold and Silver Nanoparticles. Elsevier. pp. 83–108. ISBN   9780323994545.
  11. ↑ Ogden, Jack (1992-01-01). Ancient Jewellery. University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-520-08030-0.
  12. ↑ Yazdinian, Nouriel Gino. "Wedding Bands: Styles, Trends, And How To Choose The Perfect One". NY Elizabeth. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  13. ↑ "Uses of Gold in Industry, Medicine, Computers, Electronics, Jewelry". geology.com. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  14. ↑ "Ceremonial object - Rituals, Symbols, Artifacts | Britannica". Britannica . Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  15. ↑ Madigan, Brian (2012-11-23). The Ceremonial Sculptures of the Roman Gods. BRILL. ISBN   978-90-04-22723-1.
  16. 1 2 Geller, Tom (2007). "Aluminum: Common Metal, Uncommon Past". Chemical Heritage Magazine. 27 (4). Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  17. ↑ Karmarsch, C. (1864). "Fernerer Beitrag zur Geschichte des Aluminiums". Polytechnisches Journal. 171 (1): 49. Archived from the original on 2023-08-22. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  18. ↑ George J. Binczewski (1995). "The Point of a Monument: A History of the Aluminum Cap of the Washington Monument". JOM. 47 (11): 20–25. Bibcode:1995JOM....47k..20B. doi:10.1007/bf03221302. S2CID   111724924. Archived from the original on 2016-01-24. Retrieved 2008-09-16.
  19. ↑ "Production of Aluminum: The Hall-Héroult Process". American Chemical Society. Retrieved Nov 1, 2024.
  20. ↑ The abundance of the element, a measure for its rarity, is given in mass fraction as kg in the earth's crust (CRC Handbook). David R. Lide, ed. (2005). "Section 14, Geophysics, Astronomy, and Acoustics; Abundance of Elements in the Earth's Crust and in the Sea". CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (85 ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press.
  21. ↑ Mostly taken from London Metal Exchange.
  22. ↑ From the http://www.thebulliondesk.com/ Archived 2012-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ From the http://www.thebulliondesk.com Archived 2012-09-14 at the Wayback Machine and http://www.taxfreegold.co.uk Archived 2021-04-21 at the Wayback Machine (mid price quoted)
  24. ↑ From the http://www.bullionexchanges.com
  25. ↑ From https://www.min Archived 2022-08-22 at the Wayback Machine ing.com
  26. ↑ From http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/rhodium/1-year/
  27. ↑ From http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/iridium/1-year/
  28. ↑ From http://www.infomine.com/investment/metal-prices/ruthenium/ Archived 2016-05-17 at the Wayback Machine 1-year/
  29. 1 2 3 The metal Price ($/kg)s of gallium, germanium, and indium are taken from MinorMetals.com Archived 2008-05-15 at the Wayback Machine as examples of modern precious metals used for investment / speculation.
  30. ↑ Tolcin A. (2012) U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2012.
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