A kg of iron in Sweden in the early 18th century cost in todays money 3000 sek (300euro). At an estimated GDP per capita at 1000 USD the amount is staggering, accounting for inequality even more so. Accounting for the fact that the average Swedish farmer did not engage in monetary reimbursed labor the figure becomes impossible. Essentially all the economic worth of a farmer during the time was his subsistence, by farming fishing or trading. An estimate of an average Swedish households iron worth in 1850 is roughly 70 kg, the double (140) if they had anvil. By looking at estate inventories the average iron worth in a a household in 1750 was 59 kg which increased to 224 kg in 1850. In Dalarna the farmers would go out on the ice during winter and scrape up bog iron from the bottom of the lakes. In Eastern Uppland they would dig small open pit mines to extract the ore. A few mines existed here and there, notably Dannemora.
From a practical perspective each households iron worth was limited to a few items, with the majority of the weight used for 1 or 2 pots and a shod plow almost making out half the total weight of a household. When Iron becomes more available usage increases fast, More iron on your plowbill, an ironshod spade, etc. Farewell to Catalonia mentions an anecdote on the Spanish farmers use of flint spikes on their rakes iirc. and that's in the 1930's.
Fast forward to the 1950's and 60's and a working class family in the first world affords a ton or more steel just in their car. A cast iron tub weighing 100-200 kg etc. and that's just the household which is now separated from their livelihood. That makes for an 5 time increase over the past hundred years. Now of course your car is made of Aluminum and your bathtub of stainless steel.
Aluminum on the other hand was of no economic consequence when first discovered, it was a useless curiosity valued for rarity not functionality. The prices stated for aluminum are high, extremely high but they show no real economic progress or an actual price fall. When Aluminum became affordable it became relevant to the economy, the same holds for Uranium and Plutonium.
