Aluminum was synthesized for the first time, separating it from alum, by a Danish and a German chemist, almost simultaneously. It was immediately 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. In 1885, the United States erected a 3-kg pyramid of the precious metal (aluminum) on the obelisk dedicated to Washington to demonstrate the nation’s wealth (today it would be worth a few euros).
