WORLD’S BULLION

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 50, Issue 3057, 2 April 1941, Page 7

WORLD’S BULLION

HEADQUARTERS IN LONDON GREAT NEW BUILDING WHEN THE WAR IS OVER The world’s clearing house for precious metals will be one of the most conspicuous buildings to rise up in London when the war is over. The site of this great new block is only half-a-mile from. St. Paul’s Cathedral, and at present houses part of an organisation with an international repute for the refining and preparation of precious metals. Long associated with the history of platinum refining, this organisation produced, in 1876, an international standard metre in an alloy of ten per cent, iridio-platinum. It was made to the order of the Paris Commission Internationale du Metre, and duplicates were' subsequently ordered by many governments, including those of Argentine and Brazil.

Among its other activities are the manufacture of rolled gold and liquid gold, both of which were developed during the last war when German supplies ceased, to >be available. Since 1914, Great Britain has not only met her own requirements in these products but has also developed an export trade of very considerable value in them. Buyers in many countries are to-day familiar with British rolled, gold for the manufacture of j'ewellery, optical and fancy goods, as well as British liquid gold and liquid platinum for the fired decoration of porcelain, glass and earthenware.