| From Year. | United Kingdom. | Russia. | Germany. | Serbia. | Switzerland. | Austria-Hungary. | Other countries. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 480 | 5,878 | 1,104 | 204 | 85 | 44 | 7,795 | |
| 1911 | 575 | 6,895 | 822 | 782 | 127 | 192 | 9,393 | |
| 1912 | 5,454 | 283 | 144 | 271 | 84 | 6,235 | ||
| 1913 | 78 | 4,500 | 220 | 2 | 171 | 97 | 5,067 | |
| 1914 | 63 | 2,595 | 161 | 102 | 2,921 | |||
| 1915 | No | details | available | 188 | ||||
| 1916 | 578 | |||||||
| 1917 | 578 | |||||||
| 1918 | 41 | |||||||
Germany
Platinum has recently been discovered in Westphalia, deposits having been found in Freudenberg, Siegen, Meschede, in Siegerland, Sauerland and Westerwald. It occurs in a series of fragmental deposits, including principally slates and graywackes, the latter composed of quartz and slate, with an argillaceous cement; it is also occasionally found in the recemented fragments which are presumably derived from the basal granite formation, underlying the platinum series[[46]] p. 606. The beds are believed to be of marine origin, and are probably of Silurian and Devonian age. The platinum, which is present in a very finely-disseminated state, is associated with chromium, nickel, arsenic, antimony, iron, copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold, some of which appear to have been introduced by solutions at a stage subsequent to sedimentation. Krusch investigated these deposits in 1914, and is of opinion, in view of the similarity of the chemical associations with those of the Ural and British Columbian formations, that the original source of the platinum was peridotite, or other form of basic igneous rock. A number of samples, analysed by Krusch, yielded values ranging from a trace to 33·5 gm. (1 oz. troy) platinum per ton[[47]]. At the outbreak of war the capital necessary for exploitation had not been raised, but in 1918 it was stated that treatment works had been erected at Wenden[[2]].
As mentioned above, about 25 per cent. of the Russian output of platinum before the war was refined in Germany, and it is known that German capital was helping to finance the pre-war platinum operations of that country[[2]].
Imports
The following is a summary of imports into Germany of crude, manufactured and scrap platinum in kilograms (42·87 troy oz.) for the years 1910–13:
| From Year. | United Kingdom. | France. | Austria-Hungary. | Russia. | United States. | Other countries. | Total. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 419 | 846 | 265 | 278 | 127 | 216 | 2,151 |
| 1911 | 292 | 895 | 451 | 190 | 255 | 239 | 2,322 |
| 1912 | 458 | 642 | 554 | 272 | 48 | 307 | 2,281 |
| 1913 | 191 | 683 | 233 | 451 | 236 | 230 | 2,024 |
Russia
Up to the year 1914, Russia produced about 93 per cent. of the total world’s supply of platinum, the metal being derived from extensive deposits of alluvial sands in the Ural Mountains. The platiniferous area extends approximately 80 miles along the central part of the chain of mountains in the Government of Perm, and along the eastern slope, the principal centre of the placers being at Goroblagodat, and on the western side at Nizhni-Tagilsk.
Platinum was first discovered in the Urals in 1823, and exploitation commenced in the following year. In 1828 the Russian Government instituted platinum coinage, which consisted of 3–rouble, 6–rouble and 12–rouble pieces, the coins containing about 2 per cent. iridium. A 3–rouble piece weighed 10·31 gm., and the price paid by the Government to the producers was 16s. 10d. per oz.; but owing to the subsequent rise in value of platinum, the coinage was discontinued in 1845[[48]] p. 606.