Antimony metal ingot - one troy ounce - .9999 bullion Antimony has been used since ancient times. One of the earliest uses of its sulfide was as an eye cosmetic in Egypt as early as 3100 BC with the advent of the cosmetic palette. The procedure to obtain its pure metallic form was first described in the posthumously released book "De la Pirotechnia" in 1540 by Italian metallurgist Vannoccio Biringuccio. The first naturally occurring pure antimony metal was discovered in 1783 by Anto von Swab in the Sala Silver Mine in Sweden. The ore called stibnite is the predominant ore from which antimony is produced and where it chemical symbol Sb originated. It has been estimated that about 80 or 90% of worldwide antimony production comes from China and that established global reserves of this metal may be depleted in as few as 13 years. It is predominantly used in flame retardant compounds, in lead batteries, and in other alloys either with lead or with other metals to produce lead free products such as solders and bullets. It also has growing uses in microelectronics. It sits high on the "risk list" published by the British Geologic Survey (see below link) as do several of our other metals. This may indicate future price volatility. Inscribed on our ingots are the chemical symbol (Sb), purity (99.99%), weight (one troy ounce), and a serial number (this number is unique and will vary). On the reverse is our logo. These ingots are lightly polished, similar to the one pictured. Its trigonal crystallization pattern is evident in our ingots and is similar to that seen in our tellurium ingots. Unfortunately this reflective tigonal pattern does not photograph well so we think you'll be in for a happy surprise when you receive it as we believe this is one of our most beautiful ingots and our pictures have never done them justice. As with our other ingots, there can be edge dings and other tiny imperfections which do not detract from the inherent value of this rare metal. As always, weight and purity are guaranteed by Rare World Metals Mint. Antimony in the solid form we supply is considered safe. Inhalation of its oxidized powder or dust forms can be harmful and has been linked to cancer in rats. As we suggest with all of our metals please keep them intact in a safe place, do not ingest, and keep out of the reach of children. Each ingot will be shipped with an assay certificate and every shipment will include our velvet logo bag. If you are not completely satisfied with any purchase from us, you have 30 days to return it for a full refund (buyer to pay return shipping). Domestic shipping is free for all orders over $199 (enter code free shipping at checkout). For orders of $199 or under, domestic shipping is $9.95. International shipping is via DHL, FedEx, or USPS international express and costs $45 for shipments up to a pound (9 one ounce ingots or less including packaging materials) and $10 for each additional pound. International customers please be aware that your country may levy import duties and/or VAT taxes on your purchase from us. We have nothing to do with this and cannot pay it for you. If you refuse our package because of this extra cost we will take it back and will refund your order in full once received minus the cost of the return shipping. If you are unsure what these import costs will be please check with your country's customs office. Please see the blog posts from our previous announcements regarding the addition of antimony to our family of rare industrial and precious metals: http://www.rwmmint.com/blogs/news/14849445-antimony-coming http://www.rwmmint.com/blogs/news/16048448-found-also-in-coyote-utah-and-the-transverse-ranges-of-california-and-on-the-cusp-of-release-in-cincinnati-ohio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimony http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth%27s_crust https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/513472/1/Risk_List_2015_FINAL.pdf
