Platinum was first found in South America, and was then named from its appearance, platina being the Spanish diminutive of plata (silver). But it has been called polyxene because it is so hospitable to otker minerals that it is rarely found alone. Almost invari¬ably it has some traces of the similar metal in the Mendeleef group and table—osmium, iridium, ruthen¬ium, rhodium, palladium. Very often, too, it is found in gold deposits, and with copper or iron. Sometimes it is found as cubic crystals; sometimes as flattish scaly grains; sometimes as nuggets.

Most frequently, however, it is found in sandy deposits; and in the Middle Urals, where the most famous deposits are situated, nuggets up to 20 lbs. in weight have been discovered. It was said that the Bolsheviks paid for their propa¬ganda in Denmark by large consignments of platinum, the amount sent to Copenhagen being., valued at £20,000. As about 95 per cent, of the available plati¬num comes from Russia, the Government controlling that part of the country from which come such stocks has a very valuable source of wealth.