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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

3/25/25 Report - Coin Weights and Other Weights as Artifacts and Collectibles. Jamestown and 1715 Fleet Weights. Piece of Ephemera.

 

Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of the Treasure Beaches Report.



Coin weights were the pocket-sized guardians of fair trade. Before modern banking, coin weights ensured fair transactions and protected against fraud...

Most coin weights were square, rectangular, or circular and made from brass, bronze, or lead. They were calibrated to specific coin denominations and often bore designs, inscriptions, or marks indicating their purpose. Some included the image of the coin they were meant to verify, while others featured symbols of authority, such as the initials of a ruler or minting institution.

To use a coin weight, a merchant placed it on one side of a simple pan balance scale and the coin in question on the other. If the coin matched the weight, it was deemed genuine. If it was too light, the coin had likely been shaved or it was counterfeit...

Here is the link for the rest of that article on collecting coin weights.

Weighing History - Numismatic News

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In early Jamestown, brass coin weights were necessary to verify the values of gold and silver coins. Unlike modern small change, which only represents a government-established worth, the value of colonial coinage was determined by its content — the actual amount of gold or silver it held. It was a common practice to clip coins for their metal. This illegal practice was not always detectable on the hammered coins made before 1662 which — unlike the later machine-made coinage — were not finished with a milled edge.

Coin weights portray the obverse, or front side, of the coin they represent. This made identification easier for the largely illiterate population of the time. All of the weights recovered from the site are square, and three dated between 1612 and 1619 are for Stuart coins. The only Elizabethan weight is for the gold ryal worth 15 shillings. It is stamped with a hand, indicating that it was made in Antwerp, and bears the maker’s initials “PVG.” The Elizabethan ryal was issued between 1583 and 1592....

Here is that link.

Coin Weights | Historic Jamestowne

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A quick search of the PAS database only produced on "coin weight."  I'm not confident I did that right.  

Here are the search results I got.  


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Of course, weights are not such an unusual find. One beautiful example of a complete nested weight set was found by Captain Jonah on a 1715 site.




Here is the link for more about that. 


Here is a similar nested weight set from the sist of the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Artifact of the Month: Measuring Matters | Queen Anne's Revenge Project

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Back in the day, science and electronics were a focus.  I found the booklet shown above in my box of toys that I told you about a couple days ago.  It came with a kit, which included a motor, lights, and various parts or components along with instructions to build a variety of working projects.  Below are a couple pages from that book showing a couple of the more complex projects.


Electronic Projects Described in the Booklet.

I always enjoy looking at ephemera..  Ephemera often provide a better picture of the times - often better than other kinds of artifacts.  Unfortunately, this one does not have a publication date, but I know the approximate time frame.

Interesting to see what was available for kids on those days.  

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Source: Surfguru.com

Almost no surf this morning and not much expected all week long.

There is a little rain in the Fort Pierce area.

The bulldozers are pushing sand at Fort Pierce South Jetty, which has become a very common thing.  Unfortunately, the sand will eventually make its way down to the treasure beaches where it has been building for quite some time.

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If you take climate change as an existential threat, I guess you want to burn electric cars and charging stations.  Very telling.

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Good hunting,
Treasureguide@comcast.net

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