The Transport of Platina to Spain in the Late Eighteenth Century A FURTHER CHAPTER ON THE SPANISH CONTRIBUTION TO THE EARLY EXPLOITATION OF THE NEWLY DISCOVERED METAL

The founding of a plutina refinerv in Madrid in 1786 required the establishment of a system for collecting platina from the Choco district of New Cranada in South America and shipping it to Spain. After several unsuccessful attempts to amass platina over many years, the Viceroy of New Granada ordered a district attorney at the Santa. Fe Audiencia to arrange an official visit to the Choco district to establish a Royal monopoly in platina and to set up a local collection procedure. This time it was successful and the shipment to Spain of a considerable amount of platina took place between 1788 and 1805.