78
MINERALS YEARBOOK

 The price of 60 percent zinc concentrates at Joplin averaged $17.83 per
ton in 1932, a decline of 21 percent from 1931 and the lowest since 1894.
According to the Joplin Globe weekly average prices ranged from $14 to $21
per ton in 1932. The 1932 average was equivalent to 1.49 cents per pound
of zinc contained. Since the St. Louis price of zinc averaged 2.88 cents
the difference of only 1.39 cents per pound covers metallurgical losses and
the cost of smelting and marketing, and such smelting profits as are realized.
This was less than half of of the smelter's margin of 2.96 cents per pound
in 1929.
 The following table. shows the monthly fluctuations in the quotations of
common zinc at St. Louis and London and of 60 percent zinc concentrates at
Joplin during 1931 and 1932. The New York quotation for slab zinc exceeds
that at St. Louis by the freight differential—0.35 cent per pound in
1931 and 0.37 cent in 1932.

Average monthly quoted prices of common zinc (prompt delivery or spot) at
St. Louis
and London, and of 60 percent zinc concentrates at .Ioplin, 1931—3$3
1
Month
1931


1932



60 percent
zinc concen-
trates in
the Joplin
region
(dollars per
ton)
Metallic zinc
(cents per pound)


St. Louis London

60 percent
zinc concen-
trates in
the Joplin
region
(dollars per
ton)
Metallic zinc
(cents per pound)


St. Louis London

January.                   
February                   
March                     
April                      
May                      
June                      
July                      
August                    
September                  
October                    
November                  
December                  

 Average for year          
26.00
26.26
25.00
23.90
20.00
21.00
22. 53
23.00
23.00
20.25
18. 35
18. 66
4.03
4.02
4.01
3.69
3.31
3.40
3.90
3. 82
3.74
3.38
3.20
3. 15
2.76
2. 78
2. 64
2.46
2.28
2.56
2. 66
2. 48
2.34
2.21
2.30
2. 16
17.40
17.85
17.57
17.00
14.55
19.20
17. 47
18. 22
19.83
18.32
17. 75
18. 20
3.02
2.83
2.79
2.74
2.53
2.79
2. 55
2. 76
3.30
3.05
3. 10
3. 12
2. 21
2. 14
2.05
1.95
2.04
1.88
1.84
2. 11
2.40
2.26
2. 23
2. 23
2. 12

22. 69
3. 64
2. 52
17.83
2. 88

 1 All quotations from Metal Statistics, 1933. Conversion of English quotations
into American money based on average rates of exchange recorded by the Federal
Reserve Board of the Treasury.


 The following table shows the actual prices received by producers for various
grades of zinc during the past 5 years. It will be noted that all producers
do not realize the premiums usually quoted in the trade journals for the
higher grades of zinc.

Average price of zinc received by producers, 1928—3~, by grades, in
cents per pound
.
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
Grade A (high grade) '                               
Grade B (intermediate)                             
Grades C and D (select and brass special) 1              
Grade E (prime western)                            
All grades                                        
Prime western; average spot quotation at St. Louis        
6. 8
5.99
6.08
6. 1
6.0
6.
6.44
6.42
6.6
6. 5
4 2
.

4.71
4.69
4.8
4.6
4
.

3.63
3. 73
3.8
3.6
.

2.95
2.85
3.0
2.9
 i American Metal Market quotes average prices of high grade and brass special
as follows: High grade
(f.o.b. New York), 1928, 7.74 cents; 1929, 7.88 cents; 1930, 5.58 cents;
1931, 4.63 cents; 1932, 3.99 cents.
Brass special (f.o.b. East St. Louis), 1928, 6.11 cents; 1929, 6.60 cents;
1930, 4.64 cents; 1931, 3.73 cents;
1932, 2.96 cents.