Monetary metal: Palladium

In past numbers (the TRV-HOWN No. 246 and No. 247 ), three main monetary metals-gold, silver and copper, as well as the unique coinage of platinum coins, which was practiced in Russia from 1828 to 1845, was described. Now we will talk about another metal - palladium, which, unlike platinum, has only two centuries.

It all started with the fact that in 1802 the German astronomer Henry Wilhelm Olbers (1759-1840) discovered in the solar system a new small planet (asteroid), which he called Pallada, in honor of the ancient Greek goddess of the wisdom of Athena Pallada.

In the verses of Homer, he knew delights,
And the image of wisdom-pallas ...

Valery Bryusov

Two years later, the English chemist William Hyde Vollaston (William Hyde Wollaston, 1766–1828) from a solution of uncleaned platinum in royal vodka was allocated by an previously unknown metal. He called him Palladium, in honor of the asteroid opened earlier. During his not very long life, Vollaston managed a lot: he opened Palladium and Rhodium, first received platinum in its pure form, opened ultraviolet radiation, and constructed a number of devices.

When William Vollaston opened a new metal and allocated some of its amounts, he reported this not in a scientific journal, but in the form of anonymous “advertising”. In a short message, Vollaston wrote that in the London store where minerals were sold, you can buy an previously unknown metal - “New Silver”, and everyone who can get the same metal will receive 20 pounds (a large amount for the beginning of the XIX century). There were chemists who tried to do this, but nothing came of them. And then Vollaston, revealing his pseudonym, said that he allocated the new metal of Palladium from an unpeeled platinum.

The British Geological Society is awards the Vollaston medal made from Palladium. In honor of Vollaston, one of the most common Minerals of Vollastonite (calcium silicate) was named. Like other metals of the platinum group, Palladium is found in a native form, including in the form of an alloy with platinum, and sometimes with gold and mercury.

Very beautiful anniversary and memorable coins are minted from Palladium. For the first time, a coin from Palladium was released in 1966 in the African state of Sierra Leone. In our country, for the first time, palladium coins were minted in a small circulation (7000 copies) in 1988, to the 1000th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus'. A lot of palladium coins with a face value of 5, 10 and 25 rubles. It was also released in the Russian Federation.

Rice. 2. The first coin from Palladium, dedicated to the five years of independence of Sierra-Leone

Ilya Lenson,
cand. chem. sciences, associate professor of the Higher Chemical College of RAS