Strategic materials before the modern rare-earth era

Did the Age of Sail and the nineteenth century have equivalents to today's rare strategic materials?

Yes; lead, copper, tin, iron, and steel-making inputs all became critical resources when naval and military production required them.

Scarce materials mattered before the modern rare-earth era. The examples include lead, copper, and Cornish tin, alongside iron and the materials needed to produce steel. Their importance comes from the processes that require them. A resource that a navy or industry cannot readily replace becomes something worth securing wherever it can be obtained.