Tables of Coin, Weight, and Measure. Denominations of Federal money, as established by act of Congress, April 2, 1792.† †The act above referred to provides, that the money of account of the United States shall be expressed in dollars or units, and dimes or tenths of a dollar, cents or hundredths of a dollar, and mills or thousandths of a dollar. The coins of gold, silver, and copper, shall be of the following denominations, namely; 1. Gold-eagle, half-eagle, quarter-eagle. 2. Silver-dollar, half-dollar, quarter-dollar, dime, half-dime. 3. Copper-cent, half-cent. The standard for all gold coin shall be eleven parts of pure gold and one part alloy in twelve parts of the coin. The alloy is to be of silver and copper, the silver not exceeding one half in the alloy. The eagle shall contain 2474 grains of pure gold, or 270 grains of standard gold. In the other gold coins the weight of pure or standard gold shall be in proportion to their values. The standard for all silver coins shall be 1485 parts of pure silver to 179 parts of alloy; and the alloy shall be pure copper. The dollar shall contaia 3711 grains of pure silver, or 416 grains of standard silver. In the other silver coins the weight shall be in proportion to their respective values. The copper coins shall be pure copper. The cent shall contain 11 pennyweights of copper; and the half-cent half this weight of copper. In practical treatises on arithmetic, may be found rules for reducing the Federal Coin, the currencies of the several United States, and those of foreign countries, each to the par of all the others. It may be sufficient here to observe respecting the currencies of the several states, that a dollar is considered as 6s. in New England and 12 Ounces 1 Pound lb 5760 240 = 12 = 1 By this weight are weighed gold, silver, and jewels. Virginia; 8s. in New York and North Carolina; 7s. 6d. in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland; and 4s. 8d. in South Carolina and Georgia; the denomination of shilling varying its value accordingly. This is the same as Troy weight, only having some different divisions. Apothecaries make use of this weight in compounding their medicines; but they buy and sell their drugs by Avoirdupois weight. 57344035840 = 2240 = 80 = 20 = 1 By this weight are weighed all things of a coarse or drossy nature, as corn, bread, butter, cheese, flesh, grocery wares, and some liquids; also all metals, except silver and gold. oz dwt gr Note, that 1lb Avoirdupois = 14 11 15 Troy. Hence it appears that the pound Avoirdupois contains 6999 grains, and the pound Troy 5760; the former of which augmented by half a grain becomes 7000, and its ratio to the latter is therefore very nearly as 700 to 576, that is, as 175 to 144; consequently 144 pounds Avoirdupois are very nearly equal to 175 pounds Troy; and hence we infer that the ounce Avoirdupois is to the ounce Troy as 175 to 192. By this measure, land, and husbandmen and gardeners' work are measured; also artificers' work, such as board, glass, pavements, plaistering, wainscoting, tiling, flooring, and every dimension of length and breadth only. When three dimensions are concerned, namely, length, breadth, and depth or thickness, it is called cubic or solid measure, which is used to measure timber, stone, &c. The cubic or solid foot, which is 12 inches in length and breadth and thickness, contains 1728 cubic or solid inches, and 27 solid feet make one solid yard. 64= 8= 4 = 1 Qr 512= 64= 32= 8= 1 Wey 2560 320 160 = 40= 5=1 Last 5120 640 = 320 = 80 = 10 = 2=1 By this are measured all dry wares, as corn, seeds, roots, fruit, salt, coals, sand, oysters, &c. The standard gallon, dry measure, contains 268 cubic or solid inches, and the corn or Winchester bushel 2150 cubic inches; for the dimensions of the Winchester bushel, by the statute, are 8 inches deep, and 18 inches wide or in diameter. But the coal bushel must be 19 inches in diameter; and 36 bushels, heaped up, make a London chaldron of coals, the weight of which is 3156 lb Avoirdupois.. |