The transmutation of silver into gold

Throughout the ages, man has been intrigued by the idea of transmuting base metals into the ‘king of metals’. Stephen H. Emmens, a late 19th-century scientist and entrepreneur, living and working in America, claimed to have transmuted silver into gold by his socalled Argentaurum process. His work in this area and his exchange of correspondence with the eminent scientist Sir William Crookes make fascinating additions to the recent history of transmutation.