Ch. 2: Platinum in 1915

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	PLATINUM AND ALLIED METALS.	141

	Of particular interest in connection with the imports during 1915 is the source of our foreign supply. As will be seen from the following table, compiled from the records of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, England and France supplied the great bulk of platinum imported by the United States in 1915. It is reported that large quantities of platinum from these countries were sent direct to domestic makers of war munitions for foreign countries, and did not enter the American market. The imports from Canada and Colombia appear to have been largely crude placer platinum, and it is believed that these figures represent nearly the entire output from those platinum-producing countries, though the quality reported from Panama may also have originated in Colombia.



	Since September, 1915, when the embargo on exports of European platinum became effective, the American platinum market has been most uncertain. None of the dealers appeared to know where their next supplies were coming from and were reluctant to quote prices. Scrap metal from all sources and even jewelry are said to have found ready buyers among the users of platinum. . The receipt of practically the whole output of Colombian platinum in the United States does not appear to have materially eased the situation. There has been a great demand from the sulphuric-acid industry and from makers of other war munitions who use platinum. The jewelry trade has evidently felt the strain, though a fair demand for platinum settings was reported late in 1915. The report that the National Jewelers' Board of Trade had prepared a bill for the New York Legislature concerning the marking of pure platinum has been denied.¹ Apparently the situation in England is not much better than in the United States, for on January 2, 1916, the ministry of munitions began an active campaign to ascertain the possible reserves of platinum in England.³ This took the form of a demand on all jewelers and others to supply within three days a statement showing quantity of platinum in bulk, platinum in process of manufacture, and platinum in finished articles. i Metal Industry, vol. 14, p. 80, February, 1916. ² Manufacturing Jeweler, London, vol. 58, p. 394, 1916.

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