1oz ruthenium Brit price?

[Tattoedamat]

I do love the black ruthenium and gilt 1oz Brits. What in your opinion is a good price as a collectors piece?

[STONE]

You really have to search Ebay and dealer sites to see what they are selling for and then figure out what its worth to you. You could then find an Ebay auction and bid according to what you are willing to pay. At the end of the day something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it... Buying those one off specialty coins can be real hard to re-coup your costs when selling in the future especially if the day comes that you are strapped for cash and have to sell. Common coins and bars in the UK that will always have demand are a safer long term bet.

[Tattoedamat]

Not interested in selling it in future

[JoeLS]

The cheapest way to do this is to get on Alibaba and search for the best price you can find on ruthenium powder. If you buy 100 grams or more you can get it for close to spot, which right now is about $350/toz ($11.25/g). Once you get the powder you need to find someone or a company with a vacuum arc furnace with a water-cooled copper crucible to melt it into an ingot.Expect to pay $50-100 for that. Shipping will add another $100 or so, including shipping from China (China has the only reliable supply of the stuff). So the total cost for an ounce of ruthenium will be about $550, and more like $650 if you have only one ingot made.

You could do all of that, or you  could just buy an ingot from me ;). They are quite pretty.

[Metalisreal]

So what's the advantage of using ruthenium, if any, besides the black color on coins? Is it just for looks?

[Blockhead]

I believe it's just for looks. I own one Brit like this and thinks it looks great, although often gilded or colourised coins often don't. 

I bought it for its looks and as a one-off but yes, probably ebay actual sales are best bet. 

[JoeLS]

Ruthenium is bright silver. It looks a lot like its cousin, platinum. But if heated to red heat and allowed to cool in air it develops a pretty gold/bronze oxide on its surface. That may be what was done on this coin.