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. In earlier times, precious metals were mainly used as currency. Today, however, they are highly regarded as investment and industrial commodities. Records have the following details about the Welcome Stranger: Gross weight: 3,523.5 troy ounces (241.61 pounds) Trimmed weight: 2,520 troy ounces (172.8 pounds) Net weight: 2,315.5 troy ounces (158.78 pounds) Measurement: 2 feet (0.61 meter) x 1.02 feet (0.31 meter) For their find, Deason and Oates were paid about 19,068 by the London Chartered Bank (located in the town of Dunolly in Victoria), where they took the nugget. 1 ounce coin - With 31.103 g platinum content, 31.119 g in weight, and 32.7 mm in diameter. The coins have no currency value. Their value, rather, is equal to their respective platinum contents. All coins consist of 0.9995 pure platinum. On the coin's obverse is Queen Elizabeth II, along with these texts: "ISLE OF MAN" and "ELIZABETH II". 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. Ruthenium - Karl Karlovich Klaus, a Russian chemist and naturalist, is usually credited with the discovery of ruthenium (in 1844). He discovered it from platinum ore samples he obtained from the Ural Mountains in Russia. He named this precious metal after "ruthenia", the Latin word for Klaus's home country Russia. Gold As An Investment: Ways Of Investing In Gold Four of the nine known precious metals are regarded as investment commodities. Of these four, gold is the most popular. Investing in gold is a way of protecting against crises that may be brought about by economic or political instability or by social unrest.