Precious metal Precious metal A precious metal is a rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic value. Chemically, the precious metals tend to be less reactive than most elements (see noble metal). They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. Historically, precious metals were important as currency but are now regarded mainly as investment and industrial commodities. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium each have an ISO 4217 currency code. The best known precious metals are the coinage metals, which are gold and silver. Although both have industrial uses, they are better known for their uses in art, jewelry, and
The Aurum Film Encyclopedia through 1990 and a different set of appendices. Ten pages were added to the new edition, covering the few films produced during the years 1984 - 1990. This edition was reprinted in 1995. Published in 1984, "The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Science Fiction", followed the history of the genre chronologically, from 1897 – 1983. Unlike the previous volume, silent genre titles are included, and even minor genre films are reviewed in the main text. Also unlike the first volume, Hardy mentions the names of the various critics who provided the reviews in the text, which in this book were Denis Gifford,