In 1885, the United States placed a 3-kg pyramid of the precious metal (aluminum) on the obelisk dedicated to Washington, D.C., to demonstrate the nation’s wealth (it would be worth a few euros today). The value of 3 kg of aluminum at the time would have paid for three months’ wages for all the workers who worked on the obelisk. It had been synthesized for the first time in 1825, separating it from alum, and was classified as a precious metal, on a par with gold, platinum, and silver. Napoleon III reserved aluminum cutlery for his most illustrious guests, and gold and silver for others.
