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Trade Weights
from UK DETECTOR NET
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 I am attaching a weight that I have had a long time. I have over the years found many of themand I have made the effort to research them and learn. There's one thing about this hobby andthat it is if you are really interested in your finds you will learn more in this hobby that you everlearned at school.I have misplaced most of my notes on my finds, and as time catches up with me the memoryretention is not as it should be, but I am placing this onto the site as a kind of learning curve forsome that may be grateful for the info: I know that there are some knowledgable persons on herewho could help everyone to understand a little more about what they are finding.The W & M are probably self explanatory. the A is something to do with when we separated theTroy system and switched to Imperial. The Dagger is maybe a guild marking, The Ewer (or coffepot) has lots of meanings and I believe the position of the spout in relation to a clock face is onlyone of them, the two G's in the boxes I have forgotten, as with the centre punch mark. Bring onthe Big Boys.732 - reign of Ethelbert II (king of Kent)The 'acre' is in common use.~960 - reign of Edgar the peaceful
 
It was decreed that all measures must agree with standards kept in London and Winchester1215 - reign of King John (lackland)An agreement to have a national standard of weights and measures was incorporated into themagna carta.1266 - reign of Henry IIIAn act of this date established that a penny (money) should weigh the same as 32 grains of wheat, twenty pennies to make one ounce, and twelve ounces to the pound. Eight pounds was tobe the weight of a gallon of wine. You will notice the link between money and weight, and that240 pennies equals one pound.1304 - reign of Edward IThis is where things got complicated. A statute declared that for medicines a pound would be of 20 shillings, or 12 ounces. All other things would be weighed with a pound containing 15 ounces- in all cases an ounce being 20 pennies.1352 - reign of Edward IIIA statute of this year established the stone as 14lb - a value it has kept ever since.1532 - reign of Henry VIIIAn act of this year laid down that butchers should sell meat by haver du pois weight - fromwhere we get avoirdupois.1707 - reign of Queen AnneThe wine gallon, which was fixed at 231 cubic inches. This is the basis of the liquid measuresstill in use in the US of A. It must be said that this gallon is actually of Edward the first's time,the 1707 act really only clarifying its size.1824 - reign of George IVThe famous 'weights and measures act (5 Geo IV c 74) established the 'Imperial' system of weights and measures. The act comes in to force in 1826.1878 - reign of Queen VictoriaThe troy pound was declared illegal. For avoirdupois weights, commercial weights could only bethe following: 56lb, 28lb, 14lb, 7lb, 4lb, 2lb, 1lb, 8oz, 4oz, 2oz, 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, 2dr, 1dr. Untilthis date, it was common to see other denominations in trade use, especially 8lb.1969 - reign of Elizabeth IIThe apothecaries system was outlawed for dispensing medicines, in favour of the metric system.1971 - reign of Elizabeth IIThe 'L.s.d.' system of money was replaced with the 'decimal' system.1972 - reign of Elizabeth II
 
The passing of the European Communities act hands over 'competance' for weights and measureslegislation (and everything come to think of it) to Brussels.
ceejay -
 You probably know most of this but as you say useful information for others:-
Crowned 'WM' = the royal cypher for William & MarySword of St Paul = London Guildhall markA = Averdepois (avoirdupois)Ewer = London Founders Company mark
 These marks tell us this is a trade weight verified during the reign of William & Mary (1688-1694) and it is was tested and marked by the London Founders Company for use under theAverdepois system - hence the 'A'. The Averdepois system used for normal trade goods wasbased on a pound (standardised in 1588) which was divided into 16 ounces and weighed 7,000grains. Other weights in use from 1588 were based on the Troy system used for precious metalsetc. which had a pound divided into 12 ounces totalling 5,760 grains.The 'GG' marks are interesting but I do not know there significance. They can only be a maker'smark or a later mark put on for regional use. I have a list of the latter and it does not conform toany of those.
petethedig -
 So what can you deduce from this one Ceejay? I'd appreciate some help with the detail please!There's a C with a crown above it, a sword and a ewer at the 7pm spot. Interesting post this!
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raclecheminant@hotmail.com

Several lead trade weights will be included in the next postal auction of weights and tokens of Simmons Gallery, sometime around Sept/Oct. Email address info@simmonsgallery.co.uk web pages: www.simmonsgallery.co.uk

reply06 / 12 / 2008
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