Posted 11 years ago
LOUMANAL
(436 items)
We found this weight/Bar in an old barn where someone was having a "garage" sale last summer. The fellow had set up some tables in his barn and this weight was not supposed to be part of the items for sale. When I asked him what it was used for, he stated that it was in the barn when he had bought the farm 30 years before and had no idea what it was for. He had used it to keep the large barn door open when the animals were brought into the barn. He told me,"You can have that old thing for $15.00 if you can lift it and bring it to your car". I gave him the $15.00 and half dragged it to my car. I realized after I had cleaned it a bit that it was Solid BRONZE and 1000 ounces of Bronze weighs 62.5 lbs.
There are no markings except for the 1000 impressed into the Bronze handle and it appears to have been made in one piece. What were these weights used for? Industrial Scale weights or for foundries that used Bronze for melting/manufacturing? How can you sell something like this? It's a little too heavy to use as a door stop. Any ideas? RER (LOUMANAL)
Thanks officialfuel and mustangtony for the Love!! RER
Good deal!
I wonder if this is a test weight to test the accuracy of a platform scale. Anyone buying agricultural products such as grain, livestock, feed etc. would routinely have their scales tested by the local authorities.
I thought that too but I have never seen the test weights they would have used to calibrate their scales so I'm not sure. Thanks for your thoughts and input walksoftly!! RER (LOUMANAL)
Thanks filmnet, mrmajestic1 and Poop for the love!! RER (BOB) LOUMANAL
Thanks Deanteaks and pops52 for the love! RER (BOB)
1000 ounces = 62.5 pounds = 160z per pound = avoirdupois system which was commonly used in the USA for nonprecious metal commodities so I would guess this was from a scale in an agricultural field. For example would a bag of oates or other grains have been sold in 125 pound bags? Two of these weights = 125 pounds and this weight does not look like it was a sliding weight. Any one here know agricultural business history?
Grains were/are sold by the bushel, each grain has a specific weight/bushel. An adjustment was/is made to compensate for over or under weight grain. Standard weight for oats 32#, wheat 60#, Barley 48#.
Some countries do buy/sell by the tonne(metric), but conversion are still made to get bushel weight.
I still think that this is a calibration weight.