COIN SCALES

A brass-cased folding Guinea scale with the maker's labels of "A. WILKINSON, Ormskirk (Late of KIRKBY) Near Liverpool", the cover engraved in fine copperplate style with the owner's name, William Thompson [of] Slack, [Derbyshire], late 18th century. 129mm long (closed). For the label see Crawforth, p 94, fig 4

FURTHER READING: The standard work on this subject is Crawforth, Michael, A., Weighing Coins, 1979

A mahogany-cased folding coin balance with paper label of "JOHN WHITLEY, ASHTON NEAR WARRINGTON, LANCASHIRE", complete with 3-part and 2-part composite weights to weigh Guinea, Half Guinea, 7 Shillings, Sovereign and Half-sovereign. See Crawforth, pp 99 and106 for the type, which was listed in directories from 1824

An early 19th-century mahogany-cased folding coin balance, with label of "H. BELL and Co, Prescot, Lancashire", complete with five brass weights. See Crawforth, Michael, Weighing Coins, p 95, label 15 and p 141. Hamlet Bell died 1820. Case type 10, p.85

A Victorian "IMPROVED SOVEREIGN BALANCE" by B. CATTLE, to balance Sovereigns and Half-sovereigns, in paper case, 95mm long

An extremely rare George IV rocker balance to balance Sovereigns and Half-sovereigns by J. Cottrell & Co., 1823-1825, a newly-identified maker*, in its red morocco case. 92mm. Note that the coin slots are at 90 ˚ to the norm
(* I am grateful to Michael Foster, author of an e-book, Coin Scales - English Rockers and Their Markings, for this information)

A rare George III brass rocker balance to verify Half-crown, Shilling and Sixpence, 147mm. A Patent of George Raby of 1778 for a rocker balance to weigh coins of these denominations, makes no mention of gauge slots.

A common 18th-century type of hand-held coin scales with weights, in a typical oval iron pocket case japanned to simulate tortoiseshell, about 140mm long

A pocket steelyard with two scales to weigh 1-12 ounces and 8-32 ounces repectively, complete with poise, 170mm long, in original boiled leather pocket case stamped "INOX", 175mm, circa 1760

A late 18th-century mahogany-cased coin scale by "MEYMOTT, / Late READ, / BISHOPSGATE WITHIN", the printed paper label listing current coin weights including the "light guinea", introduced by Act of Parliament in 1776 and discontinued in 1783, the maker therefore either Clement or Mercy Meymott. 140mm long

An early 19th-century mahogany-cased apothecary's scale, with maker's engraved paper label of "Young & Son / SCALE MAKERS / TO HIS MAJESTY / No 5 Bear Street / Leicester Square / London", with hinged brass cover to the weights compartment engraved "YOUNG & SON, SCALE MAKERS BEAR STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE", 200mm long.

Literature
This box is illustrated in Gentle, Rupert and Feild, achel, English Domestic Brass, 16080-1810, Elek, London, 1975, Plate 337, p 197

A similar boxed scale by the same maker, complete with a set of weights from Half scruple to one ounce, 212mm long

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A set of cast bronze nesting weights in case, stamped "LAURENCE / ABD", denominations not recorded, the smallest weight lacking, the case 40mm high.
Note: John Laurence was working in Aberdeen circa 1800 -1836.

An early 19th-century mahogany-cased folding coin balance of rocker type, with paper label "T. SIMMONS'S IMPROVED SOVEREIGN BALANCE", to weigh Sovereigns an Half-sovereigns. 126mm long, (closed). See Crawforth, p 103, fig 43

An 18th-century oak-cased coin scale by "I. SOMMERS the corner of Bucklersbury, against the West Side of the Mansion House, LONDON", with a complete set of current coin weights, some for foreign gold as per his label, several unrecorded in Withers

A typical 18th-century type of hand-held coin scales with steel beam and brass pans, in their dug-out mahogany box, the label no longer there, about 140mm long