Small aluminum ingots were presented for the first time at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. They were admired by Emperor Napoleon III, who immediately gave them financial support. The price was 3,000 francs per kilogram, about 12 times higher than that of silver. Napoleon III realized that the most important property was lightness. He gave his most important guests aluminum cutlery instead of silver. Nowadays, because silver is more valuable, we prefer silver cutlery, despite its weight… a peculiar psychological phenomenon.
