Cobalt metal ingot - one troy ounce - .998 bullion
Discovered in 1735 by Georg Brandt, a Swedish mineralogist and chemist, cobalt was the first metal to be discovered that was unknown in ancient times. Though the intense blue color of its compounds was known and used by Egyptians to color glass as early as 1550 BC, this property had previously been attributed to bismuth which is often contained in cobalt ores. The name cobalt is derived from kobold, meaning goblin in German folklore from superstitious miners who blamed them for haunting the underground mines and for the poisonous effects of arsenic oxide which was released when cobalt containing ores were smelted. Today most of the world's supply of cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia as a byproduct of copper and nickel mining.
Cobalt has diverse industrial uses including as the intense blue colorant in glass, ceramics and paints. It is also used in high strength, temperature and wear resistant alloys used in the aerospace and medical fields. About 40% of global supply is used to make rechargeable batteries, especially in the automotive industry where up to 50 kg of cobalt is needed per vehicle. Political instability in its countries of primary supply and its important industrial uses helped give cobalt a high ranking, just below the platinum group metals, on the British Geologic Survey's risk list (see below link).
Inscribed on our ingots are the chemical symbol (Co), purity (99.8%), 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. There can be small edge dings, scratches and other small imperfections. As always, weight and purity are guaranteed by Rare World Metals Mint. The solid metal form of cobalt is considered safe when handled appropriately. As we suggest with all of our metals please keep 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 $99 (enter code free shipping at checkout). For orders of $99 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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abundance_of_elements_in_Earth%27s_crust