Special Article: Niobium
Niobium (symbol Nb, atomic no. 41) is a very rare precious metal, and is only used in coins occasionally. It is so valuable that its price exceeds that of gold as of this writing. It is found mainly in Brazil, Canada, and Australia. Its appearance is very similar to that of platinum, but when oxidized, it can become bluish. It can be treated with chemicals or alloyed with other metals to turn into other colors. Niobium can be found in steel alloys, jewelry, and even the wires of cell phones! Only a few countries actually make coins made of Niobium. Some of these countries are:
Austria
Canada
Luxembourg
Palau
Sierra Leone
British Virgin Islands
Niobium in its raw form looks like this:
Notice that in all of the coins shown above, Niobium is not the only metal. It is either the inner or outer ring, and in some cases it is just part of the design. I couldn’t find the exact price for niobium, or I would have posted it.
