Currently There are 86 Known Metals.

Before the 19th century only 24 of these metals had been discovered and, of these 24 metals, 12 were discovered in the 18th century. Therefore, from the discovery of the first metals - gold and copper until the end of the 17th century, some 7700 years, only 12 metals were known.

Four of these metals, arsenic, antimony , zinc and bismuth , were discovered in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, while platinum was discovered in the 16th century.

The other seven metals, known as the Metals of Antiquity, were the metals upon which civilization was based.

These Seven Metals Were:
1) Gold (ca) 6000BC
2) Copper (ca) 4200BC
3) Silver (ca) 4000BC
4) Lead (ca) 3500BC
5) Tin (ca) 1750BC
6) Iron, smelted (ca) 1500BC
7) Mercury (ca) 750BC

Before 1800 There Were 12 Metals in Common Use:
Gold
Silver
Copper
Lead
Mercury
Iron
Tin
Platinum
Antimony
Bismuth
Zinc
Arsenic

Metals Discovered in the 18th Century:
1735 Cobalt
1751 Nickel
1774 Manganese
1781 Molybdenum
1782 Tellurium
1783 Tungsten
1789 Uranium
1789 Zirconium
1791 Titanium
1794 Yttrium
1797 Berylium
1797 Chromium

Metals Discovered in the 19th Century:
1801 Niobium
1802 Tantalum
1803 Iridium, Palladium, Rhodium
1807 Potassium, Sodium 1808 Boron, Barium, Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium
1814 Cerium
1817 Lithium, Cadmium, Selenium
1823 Silicon
1827 Aluminum
1828 Thorium
1830 Vanadium
1839 Lanthanum
1843 Erbium, Terbium
1844 Ruthenium
1860 Cesium, Rubidium
1861 Thallium
1863 Indium
1875 Gallium
1878-1885 Holmium, Thulium, Scandium, Samarium, Gadalinium,Praseodynium,
Neodynium, Dysprosium
1886 Germanium
1898 Polonium, Radium
1899 Actinium

Metals Discovered in the 20th Century:
1901 Europium
1907 Lutetium
1917 Protactinium
1923 Hafnium
1924 Rhenium
1937 Technetium
1939 Francium
1945 Promethium
1940-61 Transuranium elements. Neptunium, Plutonium, Curium, Americum Berkelium,
Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, Lawrencium.