The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-07-26
Fake Platinum Assayers and fraudulent
Promotions Exposed by United
States Bureau of Mines

The United States bureau OF mines
has lust performed a valuable public
service by issuing a report on platin-
nm in the United States. The report
is the result of Investigations by ). @.
Lind superintendent, and c. w. Da-
Wis. assistant chemist. at the bureau
of mines experiment station at Reno,
New. NJ. W. Won Bernewitz, mining
and metallurgical engineer, of Pitts
burgh. Pa. The elimination of the
Russian supply of platinum during
the war caused the price to reach new
high levels, and table submitted
shows the price to have advanced from
45 cents per ounce in 1918 10 Sis per
ounce in June of this year. This con-
dition." says the report. has not only
greatly stimulated search for platinum
in the United States. but also offered
an opportunity for fraudulent promo
tons, which has not been overlooked
by those who are ever on the alert
with promotion schemes" Continuing
the report says:
Difficulty in Assaying for Platinum.
In addition to the economic causes,
namely, the excessive demand. partly
due to new causes, particularly for
jewelry; the increase in price, and the
very limited domestic supply-there
are also certain technical factors that
must be considered. The recognition,
separation, and correct determination
of platinum in small quantities. par
ticularly in lode material, is by no
means simple. No rough method will
do, even for detection, because of the
small quantities involved. AS the
methods employed are usually those of
fire assay, similar to those used for
gold and silver the prospectOr or 9TH
ers would naturally seek custom as
sayers for the determination of plat
mum. In general, all reputable assay
ers are capable of making platinum
determinations; and according to c.
e Williams, superintendent of the
bureaus experiment station at Seat
tie. and f. p. Barrett, chemist at that
station, fire assayers in almost every
smelter they have visited can make
fairly accurate platinum assays In
correct platinum returns have been
made by chemists who have fanciful
methods. rather than to any difficulty
with the standard method.
.There is no reason why assayers
should not be conversant with reliable
methods. Technical paper 270 1921,
of the bureau of mines is devoted sole
" to this subject and is available to
the public. The report of investiga-
lions 222S of the bureau, March, 1921,
describes methods for ores carrying
copper Bulletin 694 of the u. S. geo
logical survey contains references to
80 articles on assaying platinum.
1.-THE result of these conditions is
that during the past few years there
has been an. increase in the number of
assayers turning out erroneous plat
mum returns, resulting in a number
of promotions doomed to failure. 1t
may be added that the mistakes have
nearly always been in the direction of
too high platinum content.
Experience of the Bureau of Mines.
1.-THE staff of the rare and precious
metals experiment station of the bur
eau of mines was authorized during
the war to make cumulative deter
limitations for - of the so-called war
minerals among which was platinum
The object was, of course, to stimulate
the discovery and production of these
much needed minerals. At the conclu-
sion of the war this authority was
Withdrawn with respect to all of these
II metals excepting platinum. 1t had
become evident that there was great
need for some responsible authority in
connection with platinum determine
lions. and IL was thought that the bur-
eau could render a public service in
devoting attention to proper methods
of assaying therefor. The principal
object however, was to determine
whether the United States really has
any important domestic sources OF
platinum. and if so, to assist in their
development. This part of the work
has proved disappointing. A large
number of samples of placer and lode
material has been examined, but IN
most of them negative results were
obtained. These samples have come
from all of the mining states includ-
ing Alaska. AS far as conclusions
NAV be drawn. they may be summed
m in the statement that the Unlteu
States appears to have no important
resources of platinum-at least none
which is at all likely ever to supply
our demand, or any considerable frac-
tion of it. Under 1000 ounces year
is not much of a supply when the
country needs 10 to Is times that
quantity. The case of platinum Is
parallel with those of tin and nickel
this country has no tin or nickel re-
sources of significance.
Warning the Public.
..rbe only other service that the
bureau can render in connection with
platinum and platinum metals is IN
warning the mining industry and the
e. z. ..nnciIIa to