this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2025
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So wait, the entire Roman empire existed before Europe had any idea what platinum was?
Correct! It's insane how recent some understandings of the world around us are.
Wait, so why did it become valuable overnight?
It didn't happen overnight, but there are a ton of modern applications for platinum. Many of them use it as a very efficient catalyst, many reactions can be massively speed up or only happen when platinum is present.
For example the Catalytic converter in gas cars usually use platinum as the catalyst. They brake down carbon monoxide and various nitrogen oxides.
Yes, because the carbon monoxide and various nitrogen oxides are usually travelling at grate speeds and must be slowed.
Otherwise they'd be grated?
Essentially, they had to figure out how to isolate it from other metals entirely (you have to alloy it and then reduce it with acid) so it would have consistent visual and material qualities and could be reasonably worked. From that point on, the fact that it was both rare and pretty to look at made it immensely valuable, same basic reasons as gold, except NEW and EXCITING. Inside of a decade it went from worthless to the next big thing.
Aluminum had a similar treatment when it was discovered, becoming immensely valuable because it was pretty and novel, though its value dropped like a rock as easier methods of refining aluminum were discovered.
I love the story that Napolean went to the unimaginable luxury of having a whole set of aluminum tableware made up to awe his visitors.
The cap on the Washington Monument is aluminum because it was so precious in 1884, comparable to silver.
https://evolutiondc.museum.gwu.edu/the-washington-monument-capstone/
The aluminum set was only for the most distinguished guests, the other guests had to eat with the less luxurious gold cutlery.
It's an important ingredient in credit cards. Of course you have to invent credit cards first.
I prefer my credit cards made with artificially scarce trash rocks, like diamonds, tyvm