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. Coupled with its resistance to extremely high temperatures, this special characteristic makes iridium ideal for use in certain parts of aircraft engines. It is also alloyed with titanium to make deep-water pipes. Other uses of iridium include the following: 1. Electrical contacts for spark plugs (due to its resistance to arc erosion); 2. As catalysts for hydrogenation of fine chemicals, because of its high resistance to chemical poisoning from phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen. 5. As treatment for liver cancer, because of its radioactive isotopes. Rhenium resources are identified in several countries, which include Chile, Peru, Armenia, Mexico, Russia, Canada, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Apart from this, accidental exposure to a radioisotope of iridium may cause poisoning by radiation, burns, and even death. Ruthenium: Three conditions may be associated with exposure to ruthenium: it can stain the skin; it may accumulate in bones; and it may increase the risk of cancer. Ruthenium tetroxide, a yellow, diamagnetic tetrahedral ruthenium compound, is highly toxic and volatile; it may explode if it comes into contact with combustible materials. The ranking appears different when the estimated world market prices, per troy ounce, of these nine precious metals are considered (estimates as of January 2010): 1st: Rhodium - USD2,750 2nd: Platinum - USD1,555 3rd: Gold - USD1,131 4th: Palladium - USD424 5th: Iridium - USD408 6th: Osmium - USD380 7th: Rhenium - USD194 8th: Ruthenium - USD173 9th: Silver - USD18 Of the nine precious metals, gold and silver are the best known. The gold standard eventually ended that same year. One of the advantages of the gold standard is that it sort of restricts the government's power in inflating prices, which is possible through excessive issuance of paper currency. Also by providing a fixed pattern of exchange rates, the gold standard may effectively lessen uncertainty in international trade.