# Solid Rhodium



## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

from the Wiki page: Rhodium

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Rhodium_78g_sample.jpg/640px-Rhodium_78g_sample.jpg

that particular sample ,if Rhodium, weighs 78 grams....

my question is: if that is Rhodium as claimed, then what source did it originate (the square sample) ?? :?:


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## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Rhodium_78g_sample.jpg/640px-Rhodium_78g_sample.jpg

ok,just the link....


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## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

as compared with this:


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## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

this round sample weighs 115 grams....


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## jimdoc (Nov 22, 2011)

If you are looking to buy some rhodium, the Cohen Mint is back in business.
http://www.rhodiumcoin.com/

Jim


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## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

thanks

i am more interested in identification


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## jimdoc (Nov 22, 2011)

kountryrhodes said:


> thanks
> 
> i am more interested in identification



Those chunks of rhodium in your pictures are more than likely from someone who made them for element collectors. You aren't going to find any pieces of rhodium that look like those. 

They are probably in the collection of somebody like this;
http://periodictable.com/Items/077.x3/index.html

Jim


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## kountryrhodes (Nov 22, 2011)

interesting, thanks....


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## RGJohn (Nov 24, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> If you are looking to buy some rhodium, the Cohen Mint is back in business.
> http://www.rhodiumcoin.com/
> 
> Jim



Are these folks legitimate? Their website does not inspire confidence that they are capable of producing and marketing pure Rhodium bars and coins. Do they have any evidence that their purity is as claimed? The failure to properly spell and punctuate their claims doesn't inspire confidence in their professionalism or general capabilities. 
----
Their posted spot price is also wildly inaccurate ( $1775 vs. current $1650, Nov.24, 2011). They ask $2195 for one ounce. That's 33% premium today. 
-----
I think I'll keep my money in my wallet a while longer.


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## sanji (Nov 25, 2011)

Analysis of rhodium is extremely difficult, especially since there are no know rhodium reference material. Furthermore, presence of oxygen as rhodium oxide is an issue for the determination of the purity. 999.5‰ seems really high, and I would love to know how they guarantee such title...


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## jimdoc (Nov 25, 2011)

I would think the Cohen Mint gets the rhodium, or maybe blanks from this place;
http://www.americanelements.com/

http://www.americanelements.com/rh.html

Jim


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## RGJohn (Nov 25, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> I would think the Cohen Mint gets the rhodium, or maybe blanks from this place;
> http://www.americanelements.com/
> 
> http://www.americanelements.com/rh.html
> ...



Thanks for the very interesting link. They certainly offer what could be considered planchets for coining with their rhodium discs of varying diameters and thicknesses. And ingots too. 
------
I 'googled' Cohen Mint and it would seem that all customers agree that they are slow and uncommunicative but the coins do eventually arrive.


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## jimdoc (Nov 25, 2011)

I have one of the Cohen Mint 1 gram coins I bought on Ebay, and plan to get a few more when I can. When they first started selling them they cost about $89 each, and considering how difficult it must be to create the coins and bars, I feel they are worth the premium. It is not much more than gold at this time, and if I had my choice between the two, I would pick rhodium.
Cohen Mint had been closed, or not taking orders for a few months because of a "health issue", so its anyones guess how long they will still be selling them this time around.
American Elements has a minimum order, for rhodium bars it was like 10 troy ounces. 

Jim


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## Harold_V (Nov 26, 2011)

Jim,
The one concern I'd have with rhodium is that it is not readily marketable, very unlike gold. Rare, yes. Desirable? Not so much. In a crisis, you'd be far better served to have small bits of gold that are readily recognizable. 

Harold


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## jimdoc (Nov 26, 2011)

Harold_V said:


> Jim,
> The one concern I'd have with rhodium is that it is not readily marketable, very unlike gold. Rare, yes. Desirable? Not so much. In a crisis, you'd be far better served to have small bits of gold that are readily recognizable.
> 
> Harold



Harold,
I agree, and I do save all the gold I recover, and have been buying silver and palladium as well. I have a few ounces of gold that I refined and a few still in need of processing. I think it's silver that people will be using in time of crisis, at least for smaller purchases or trades.

Being an element collector I would like to have at least a troy ounce of each rare metal. So far I am about 28 grams shy of that troy ounce of rhodium and iridium, and 31.1 grams shy with osmium.

I would find it harder to buy a gold 1 oz. gold Buffalo for $1850 than an oz. of rhodium for $2100. But I do agree that in a crisis you would do better with gold, and don't forget guns. 

Jim


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## Lou (Nov 26, 2011)

Jim, 

Next time I do an Os, Ru, and Ir batch I'm having some slabs made as desk ornaments. It'll be a few months, but when I do go to get them made, I can save a couple ounces of each and have them ebeam melted for you.

I do have sponge of each right now, I think my price is $210 for Ru, $450 Os and 1200 for Ir.


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## jimdoc (Nov 26, 2011)

Lou said:


> Jim,
> 
> Next time I do an Os, Ru, and Ir batch I'm having some slabs made as desk ornaments. It'll be a few months, but when I do go to get them made, I can save a couple ounces of each and have them ebeam melted for you.
> 
> I do have sponge of each right now, I think my price is $210 for Ru, $450 Os and 1200 for Ir.



Lou,
Thanks. Hopefully I have some extra money when you have it available. 
How much would the ebeam melting be?

Jim


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## Harold_V (Nov 27, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> Being an element collector I would like to have at least a troy ounce of each rare metal. So far I am about 28 grams shy of that troy ounce of rhodium and iridium, and 31.1 grams shy with osmium.


Ohhh! That's very different! (Quoting Gilda Radner). 

Yep, I understand now, Jim. I didn't realize you wanted examples for your collection. Sounds like Lou may have you covered. 8) 

Harold


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## Lou (Nov 27, 2011)

Probably a couple hundred bucks per ounce. The Os slab for my watch blank was quoted at $25,000.


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## qst42know (Nov 27, 2011)

Lou said:


> Probably a couple hundred bucks per ounce. The Os slab for my watch blank was quoted at $25,000.



I think I would like to see that watch. 

What movement qualifies for a $25000 case?


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## HAuCl4 (Nov 29, 2011)

jimdoc said:


> Being an element collector...
> Jim


Hi Jim: Do you know which elements are illegal or too dangerous to own?. I can think of some of the radioactive ones, but do not have a comprehensive list. :?:


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## jimdoc (Nov 29, 2011)

HAuCl4 said:


> jimdoc said:
> 
> 
> > Being an element collector...
> ...



There are a few that can be dangerous, and others depending on how they are stored. Sorry, but I don't have a list on hand. Maybe Lou could give a better answer to this, it is a good question. I know that what is legal today has probably changed from what was legal in the past.

Jim


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## kountryrhodes (Feb 4, 2012)

i have finally identified the source of the 'rhodium' in my possession

the ingots are the left over remains of the Czochralski process

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czochralski_process


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## kountryrhodes (Feb 4, 2012)

_Many methods of manufacturing sapphire today are variations of the Czochralski process, which was invented in 1916. In this process a tiny sapphire seed crystal is dipped into *a crucible made of the precious metal rhodium*,_

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1962.tb11037.x/abstract;jsessionid=B5A1937987CD9D62BA1B99C67410753E.d03t04


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## kountryrhodes (Feb 4, 2012)

Corning, and NOT Dupont was the source of the C8 contamination in the Mid-Ohio Valley....

and if any Corning folk be out there -- I'lll be a seein' you all real soon


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## Lou (Feb 4, 2012)

Looks like a bunch of polycrystalline silicon in the bottom of a quartz crucible. Neat.


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## jimdoc (Mar 8, 2012)

Metallium has lowered its price on their rhodium element series coin.
Now its $400 for 5.3 grams. That doesn't seem too bad to me.

http://www.elementsales.com/ecoins.htm


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## Lou (Mar 27, 2012)

For a coin? Not too bad at all. If you just want a 5 g bead of rhodium, I'd be half of that.


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## cleanbucket1 (Mar 30, 2012)

WOW...
That is sweet. Ive been looking for someone who may be interested in doing a trade for some rhodium. LOU, Ive been told your the guy to get a hold of, but anyone is more than welcome to reply and let me know if theyre interested. Ive been trying to work up an ounce little by little for I dont do recovery on PGM'S. Just gold. I have some gold of my own that is 999 that im willing to do a trade with. I would like to get between 3 and 5 grams total in 1 to 2 gram chunks, buttons, beads, pellets, whatever you may call them. 
Thanks for reading guys. I hope to hear from you.


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## cleanbucket1 (Mar 30, 2012)

OH, Also, whats in that crucible above seems to be "Tellurium". I didnt read all the posts but I think your trying to figure out what it is???
Really cool stuff. Light and has a great crystalline makeup.


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## Lou (Mar 30, 2012)

Send me a PM, I'll get you squared away.


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