DocCathode - an interesting proposition.
This alchemy of which you speak, with its transmutation, rubedo and the like - will it allow me to convert standard, unleaded motor vehicle engine fuel to 110 octane? Or is leaded fuel required?
Tapioca Dextrin - Your reasoning is sound. If we can get our hands on enough of those old-timey lead pencils, a non-ferrous scrap merchant will buy the Pb for US$1000/tonne.
Depends. Do you want it in tablet form?
Now your talking. Water soluble tablets.
I remember learning in a chemistry course that you can convert among protons, neutrons and electrons. That is how they get plutonium 239 out of uranium 238. I do not know if you can get gold out of lead though. Walmart may carry a nuclear reactor kit in the toy section next to the toy chemistry sets. Or you can build your own, I saw some plans in the back of popular science.