Series "Microworlds" - Palladium - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 2019 - 85 Euro Cent

Palladium, one of the rare chemical elements of this earth, is one of the most resistant precious metals. In addition to gold, silver and platinum, it plays an increasingly important role in the world market. It was discovered in 1803 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston, who isolated it from platinum ore. Since it has excellent catalytic properties, the major part of the annual consumption of palladium falls on the automotive industry, where it is installed in catalytic converters. Furthermore, it has the highest absorption capacity for hydrogen, which is why it is also used in hydrogen cars. Other properties make it popular for the jewelry industry or electrical engineering, where it is used in tablet PCs, mobile phones or digital TVs, for example. Manfred P. Kage, the pioneer of photomicrography, takes a remarkably close look at this versatile element. With a magnification of 230x, a specially designed device offers a fascinating image of the precious metal, which adorns the newest postage stamp of the series "Microworlds".