Balance

Object Name:

Balance

Object ID:

1960.207 b

Description:

Balance scale in wooden box.

Scale: Steel, brass, and textile balance scale. Height 9.4", width 8.5", depth: 2.5", 1.34 oz. Gray and dark color cloth tassel at top connected to S hook, which is connected to balance yoke. Two long arms on steel yoke terminate in two circular graduated discs that end with very small pointed finial damper for yoke. Upper pair of disc holes with knife edge bearing in balance arm. Second hole contains U-shaped finial with small rounded point at bottom. Finial yoke damper connects to both sides of yoke. Indicating arm just above knife edge on balance arm, 1.4" long. Arm tapered with small turned finial at top. Balance arm tapers to flared end that turns upward and then outward to hole, 6" long. Hole with S hook. Three dark-colored woven cords on bottom portion of S hook. Cords extend to shallow brass pans and are knotted on bottom side of pans. Red and blue textile tassel encloses ends of cords at top of cords where they loop through S hook. At top, grayish small tassel to hide where tassels tied together. Three concentric rings lightly inscribed on concave side as decorations of shallow pans. Tops of pans tarnished, but with polished surface with some tarnish. Bottoms of pans smooth. One pan with scratched area of filing to adjust weight. Some decorative lines and shapes on balance arm and yoke.

Weights: Four sheet-metal weights, brass or bronze. Smallest has three circular punches and a lion punch. One with four circles and one lion. One with five circles, one in each corner, one in center. Lion offset. One with six circles in 2 x 3 array and offset lion. 11 circular weights with yellowish-brass color. Milled-type design on surfaces, front and back at edges. Pound and shilling marks and numbers. Pound mark with "3" under it. Shilling mark with "12" under it. Pound 3S12 coin, diameter 1.090", 29 grams. 36 shilling coin, 14 grams. 27 shilling coin : 11 grams. 21 shilling coin: 8 grams. 18 shillings, 7 grams. 13 shillings 6 pence: 5 grams. 10 shilling 6 pence coin with other side, pw 2, gr 16 1/2": 4 grams. 9 shillings, 4 grams. 6 shilling 9 pence: 2 grams. 5 shillings, 3 pence: 2 grams. 4 shillings, 6 pence with opposite side 1 pw 3 gr: 2 grams, diameter 0.5".

Box: Medium-brown hardwood. Sides 0.22" thick. Front and back sides enclose left and right sides. Bent-over steel nails at surface holding sides. 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. Steel simple loop on front edge of box front extends upwards through hole in lid. Fanciful, brass catch pivoted with brass pin on top. 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, 5" wide and 2.6" high. Handwritten table on it. Six columns. One long text line across top: "of the weight & Value of Coins as they..... America". First column title, "Coins". Below it, "A. Guinea / 1/2..do / Moidere / 4. Pistole piece / 2 Pistole do / 1 Pistole do / Dbl Johanner / Single do / 1/2 / 1/4 / [do?]. Next column title: "dw - gr". Next column: "P.... ng / Mang [or 'y'}. Next column: "Lon... my". Next column: "Sterling". Final column heading "M Y ........." Two walls on lower left corner inside box, not as high as sides. Outside width on right front and left front 1.6" and 1.7". Broken apart at corners where glue failed. Coarse green cloth on bottom surface of box; section walls sit on top of it. All walls glued together.

Material:

Metal
Wood
Brass
Paper
Textile
Steel

Dimensions:

H-1.2 L-6.9 D-3.25 inches Weight-4.2 oz

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

Subjects:

Scales, Weights and measures