Balance

Object Name:

Balance

Object ID:

1960.207 a

Description:

Balance scale in wooden box. Wood, steel, and brass.

Scale: Steel, brass, and textile balance. Height 8.6", overall width 6.8", depth 2" (also diameter of pan). Width of balance arm 4.8", balance arm and vertical pointer 1.5". Yoke and yoke damper 2.3". Cord length 5.6". Grey textile fob at top. Steel S hook connected to steel yoke. Yoke arms terminate in two graduated discs. Hole for knife edge in top disc. Yoke damper piece in bottom disc hole. Balance arm tapered to end where it flares up and over to a hole. S hook in hole. three, woven green cords hand from S hook. Cords extend downward to shallow, brass pan. Pan ~0.2" deep. Cords knotted on bottom surface of pan. At top end of cord, they go through S hook, then wrapped with short, fancy green tassel. Shiny top surface to pans, with three, lightly incised concentric lines as decoration. Bottom surface of pan smooth. One of cord tassels red. Balance arm polished on top and sides. Some decorative marks on arms. Little bit of undercutting near center of arm for decoration. Pointing arm extends from central area of balance arm. It has small perforated disc at its base and small, slightly bulbous point at top. Pointing arm is flat stock. Some light corrosion on arms of yoke and slightly decorative arch at top. Balance by itself weighs 0.65 oz.

Weights: Nine brass weights. Three thin sheet metal. The others thicker. All with circular stamps on them. Stamps on both sides. Central rectangular stamp with lion facing left, also on both sides for all weights. Two with nine grams. Six grams weight with circular stamps on each side in corners. One three-gram, with two circles on each side, and one lion on each side, which is on one edge. One weight, one gram, with one circle on each side and one lion on each. Another with part of one circle and one lion on one side only that cannot be weighed. One with six circular stamps in 2 x 3 array and single lion. Another with five circulars, one in each corner and one in middle plus lion in center. Another with four circulars, one in each corner with lion in center. Six heavier ones together weight 30 grams and with the three light ones, it goes up one gram to 31. Piece of paper with pieces of metal in them. Gray, irregular shapes, thought one might be 0.25 of disc. The other two odd, roundish shapes. Paper crumbled and old. In ink, "weights 1/2, 1/4, 1/8...and .....oz." Scratched on them "1/2", "1/4", and "1/8". The "1/2" weight, 14 grams. "1/4" weight 6 grams, "1/8" weight 3 grams. Total weight 24 grams.

Box: Medium brown hardwood. Sides 0.2" thick. Corners held with small bent-over nails on outside. Front and back pieces enclose side pieces. Bottom extends beyond edge of box with beveled edge on three sides. Back side flush. Wire hinged lid extends beyond edge of box on all sides. Simple loop on front edge of box front extends upwards through hole in lid. Semi-circular brass catch pivoted on top with brass pin and engages wire loop. Bent-over, wire hinges on back extend through top surface. Second portion of hinge extends through back of box at an angle. Wire ends bent flush on inside. Ends of wires on inside appear to extend slightly into wood. Paper label on inside of lid, 3.4" wide, 1.7" high. Figure of some sort to left side of label with representation of balance scale. Rococo-style border around image. Table of coins' value and weight on right side. Coin table: "1 Portugal Piece". Printed below that: "1/2 do (ditto)". Next line: "1/4 do". Third line: "1/8 do", then "1/6 do". Next line: "1 Meidere". Next "1/2", then "1/4", then "1 Guinea", then "1/2 do". Three lines of text at bottom. "NB." in italics. "O1 Grain of Gold is .......". Next line: "is from Shilling at 4 ...........ounce, 24 grain". "Makes and peny Weight & 2c Peny Weight..........". Written on wood adjacent to this in two columns with titles. Numbers 16, 8, 4, 2, 1, 6, 3, 1 1/2, 4...2... for left column. Another column, title illegible. Two sets of numbers to this one: "4-16, 2-8, 14, 0-12, 0-6". Below that, "1-16, 0-18, 0-9, 1-8, 00-8". Another column without title. Numbers there, but illegible. A couple walls on lower left corner inside box, not as high as sides. Outside width 1.4" and 1.5". Similar wall on right side, both widths 1.5". Coarse green cloth on bottom surface of box. Section walls sit on top of it. All walls glued together.

Material:

Metal
Wood
Steel
Brass
Textile
Paper

Dimensions:

H-1.2 L-5.8 D-2.9 inches Weight-3.1 oz

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

Subjects:

Scales, Weights and measures