) coin - With a face value of USD10, 3.112 grams (g) in weight, 0.95 millimeters (mm) thick, and 16.5 mm in diameter. 2. 1/4 oz. coin - With a face value of USD25, 7.78 g in weight, 1.32 mm thick, and 22 mm in diameter. 3. 1/2 oz. coin - With a face value of USD50, 15.56 g in weight, 1.75 mm thick, and 27 mm in diameter. Its occurrence is similar to that of ruthenium, and its primary use is as a catalytic converter. Rhodium is considered perhaps the rarest element. It is also known to be the most expensive precious metal, with a price estimated to be about USD2,750 per troy ounce (USD88,415 per kilogram) as of January 2010. Also here are the Afrikaans and English versions of the name "South Africa", both inscribed in capital letters. On the reverse of the coin is an image of the springbok, an antelope specie which is a South African national symbol. Atop the image is an inscription of the name of the coin, in capital letters, while below it is the coin's gold content, inscribed in Afrikaans and English. Three Methods Of Assay For Raw Precious Metals Items of jewelry or art made of precious metals are hallmarked based on specific requirements either of the country of import or the place of manufacture. Such items, particularly those made of silver, gold, or platinum, are struck with an official mark (or series of marks), which guarantees fineness or purity of the metal used. A third important factor that will qualify an element as a precious metal, as may be noted from the uses of gold and silver above, is that it should not be radioactive. Thus, the chemical elements actinium, polonium, and radium are not considered precious metals because they are highly radioactive. Compared to most other elements, precious metals are chemically less reactive, have higher melting points, and are more ductile - properties that make them ideal for many commercial and industrial applications. Commercially, palladium is produced from copper-nickel deposits in Siberia, South Africa, and in Ontario in Canada. The precious metal is also found - alloyed with the other metals in the platinum group as well as with gold - in Ethiopia, Australia, North and South America, and in the Ural Mountains in Russia.
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