Guys, I am interested in possessing as many types of non-toxic metallic elements in their pure form as I can, so, are there places where you can get Platinum Group metals in bullion or jewelry form, and also, can I get any other metals, such as Tungsten, Bismuth, Chromium, Lithium, Titanium, and whatever other metals are non-toxic to touch or anything like that. Oh, and one more thing. Why is Chromium used mostly for just chrome plating? I mean, why can't they make bathroom and kitchen faucets, and certain car parts out of pure Chromium? Is Chromium a precious or expensive metal? Is there anything out there made of PURE Chromium? Even since I was a kid collecting scrap metals with my brother, for money, I have wanted to own a bar of pure Chromium. I have thought about asking a chrome plating company for a block of it. Do you think they'd sell?
http://www.goodfellow.com/A/Chromium-Bar.html Metallic lithium can be found in lithium batteries. Cut the shell of a AA battery near the base and the lithium should slide out the bottom. It's coiled up with a paper strip. Just pull the paper away and you've got a long strip of lithium metal. It is highly reactive and will quickly oxidize so it should be folded up and put in a sealed container. It will also react with water, burning with a bright light similar to magnesium. Use rubber gloves when handling it.
Yes, you can get coins made of most elements. Here is one source. There are others if you do a search. http://unitednuclear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=89
If you want high purity metals, look at laboratory suppliers like ESPI Metals. More common metals like titanium can be purchased in bars, rods, and wire from industrial suppliers like McMaster Carr. There are also companies that make small planchets for radiochemical applications using various pure metals.
Chromium is a very hard, but brittle metal. So to make a pure chrome bumper for an auto would defeat the purpose. But it does have properties that make it suitable for situations like faucets etc where it has a high shine, is scratch resistant and protects from corrosion at least for awhile. It has been used for coinage, notably the Canada 5 cent coin of ca. 1944-5 were chromium plated steel.