The following coins are at present in common use in England: The following coins have been in use at various periods in England, but with the exception of the first two, which are used under different names, they are now obsolete: Note. The office at which coin is made and stamped, so as to pass or become current for legal money, is called the Mint. The standard of gold coin in this kingdom is 22 parts of pure gold and 2 parts of copper, melted together. From a pound Troy of standard gold there are coined at the Mint 4628 sovereigns, or £46. 14s. 6d. : therefore the Mint price of gold is of £46. 14s. 6d. or £3. 17s. 103d. per ounce standard, (12 ounces Troy=1 pound Troy). The standard of silver coin is 37 parts of pure silver and 3 parts of copper. From a pound Troy of standard silver are coined 66 shillings. Therefore the Mint price of silver is 5s. 6d. per ounce standard. In the copper coinage, 24 pence are coined from 1 pound Avoirdupois of copper. Therefore 1 penny should weigh 4th of a pound Avoirdupois. The copper coinage is not, according to the present law, a legal tender for more than 12d.; nor is the silver coinage for more than 40s.; the gold coinage being the standard of this country. MEASURES OF WEIGHT. TABLE OF TROY WEIGHT. 101. This table derives its name probably from Troyes in France, the first city in Europe where it was adopted. It seems to have been brought thither from Egypt. It has also been derived from Troy-novant, the monkish name for London. It is used in weighing gold, silver, diamonds, and other articles of a costly nature; also in determining specific gravities; and generally in philosophical investigations. The different units are grains (written grs.), pennyweights (dwts.), ounces (oz.), and pounds (lbs. or lbs.), and they are connected thus: 24 Grains ......... make 1 Pennyweight ... 1 dwt. Note 1. As the origin of weights, a grain of wheat was taken from the middle of the ear, and being well dried, was used as a weight, and called 'a grain. Note 2. Diamonds and other precious stones are weighed by ‘Carats,' each carat weighing about 34 grains. The term 'carat' applied to gold has a relative meaning only; any quantity of pure gold, or of gold alloyed with some other metal, being supposed to be divided into 24 equal parts (carats); if the gold be pure, it is said to be 24 carats fine; if 22 parts be pure gold and 2 parts alloy, it is said to be 22 carats fine. Standard gold is 22 carats fine: jewellers' gold is 18 carats fine. TABLE OF APOTHECARIES' WEIGHT. 102. Apothecaries' weight only differs from Troy weight in the subdivisions of the pound, which is the same in both. This table is used in mixing medicines. The different units are grains (grs.), scruples (9), drams (3), ounces (3), pounds (lbs. or lbs.), and they are connected thus: 20 Grains...make 1 Scruple ... 1 sc. or 19. 103. Avoirdupois weight derives its name from Avoirs (goods or chattels, and Poids (weight). It is used in weighing all heavy articles, which are coarse and drossy, or subject to waste, as butter, meat, and the like, and all objects of commerce, with the exception of medicines, gold, silver, and some precious stones. The different units are drams (drs.), ounces (oz.), pounds (lbs.), quarters (qrs.), hundred weights (cwts.), tons (tons), and they are connected thus: In general, 1 Stone (1 st.)=14 lbs. Avoirdupois, but for butchers' meat or fish, 1 Stone=8lbs.; 1 Firkin of Butter=56 lbs.; 1 Fodder of Lead=193 cwt.; 1 Great Pound of Silk = 24 ounces; 1 Pack of Wool = 240 pounds. 1 lb. Avoirdupois weighs 7000 grains Troy; 1 lb. Troy weighs 5760 grains Troy; therefore 1 lb. Avoirdupois=7080 of 1 lb. Troy MEASURES OF LENGTH. TABLE OF LINEAL MEASURE. 104. In this measure, which is used to measure distances, lengths, breadths, heights, depths, and the like, of places or things: 3 Barley-corns (in length) make 1 Inch, which is written 1 in. Note. A grain of Barley, or a Barley-corn, is supposed to have been the original element of Lineal Measure. The following measurements may be added, as useful in certain cases: 4 Inches make 1 Hand (used in measuring horses), 22 Yards make 1 Chain 100 Links make 1 Chain used in measuring land, a Palm=3 inches, a Span=9 inches, a Cubit = 18 inches, a Line=1th of an inch. TABLE OF CLOTH MEASURE. 105. In this measure, which is used by linen and woollen drapers: MEASURES OF SURFACE. TABLE OF SQUARE MEASURE. 106. This measure is used to measure all kinds of superficies, such as land, paving, flooring, in fact everything in which length and breadth are to be taken into account. DEF. A SQUARE is a four-sided figure, whose sides are equal, each side being perpendicular to the adjacent sides. A square inch is a square, each of whose sides is an inch in length; a square yard is a square, each of whose sides is a yard in length. 144 Square Inches make 1 Square Foot...1 sq. ft. or 1 ft. ......... 9 Square Feet 1 Square Yard...1 sq. yd. or 1 yd. 301 Square Yards....................... 1 Square Pole...1 sq. po. or 1 po. 40 Square Poles 4 Roods 1 Square Rood 1 ro. 1 Acre ...... 25000 Square Links = 1 Rood. ..1 ac. Note. This table is formed from the table for lineal measure, by multiplying each lineal dimension by itself. The truth of the above table will appear from the following considerations. Suppose AB and AC to be lineal yards placed perpendicular to each other. 3 Then by definition ABCD is a square yard. If AE, A E F B EF, FB, AG, GH, HC=1 lineal foot each, it appears G from the figure that there are 9 squares in the square yard, and that each square is 1 square foot. The same explanation holds good of the other dimensions. The following measurements may be added: 1 2 4 5 6 H 7 8 9 A Rod of Brickwork......=2721 Square Feet. (The work is supposed to be 14 in., or rather more than a brick-and-ahalf, thick.) |