Scales for weighing

[M. Demetrius]

Salvete,
I'm interested in making a set of scales for weighing (not squamata for wearing). My question is, what sort would be commonly used for weighing out market-sized portions of things. Like produce, coins, and such as that, not sides of beef.

I know the double pan was used since nearly forever, but what sort of scale would have travelled with a legion, and also be a sort you might find, say in Celtic Britain?

Pictures would always help, since I really do intend to smith one of these. Double pan? Steelyard?

Thanks in advance,
M. Demetrius

[Carlton Bach]

For small items like coins, you'd probably use a double balance. A folding one was excavated at Regensburg, for one thing (I can send you a pic if you want).

For larger items, market-style, steelyards seem to have been more common. The suspended weights are a fairly regular occurrence in excavations. Interestingy, a wooden 'steelyard' balance has been excavated from Elisenhof, a north German village from the 7th-9th centuries AD. I wonder whether these would not have been in use among the Romans as well. THey are much easier to make than twin scales.

[M. Demetrius]

A folding one was excavated at Regensburg, for one thing (I can send you a pic if you want).

Yes, please, picture would be helpful.

I probably won't make a folding one, though, unless I get more industrious than my time will generally allow.

M. Demetrius

For those who want to send pictures, etc., directly to me, use [email protected]

Thanks

[Peroni]

There's a nice example of a single-pan balance here...

[url:242d39n5]http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/peronis/Imgp8635.jpg[/url]

Regards,

[Peroni]

Another type here..

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/ ... 34_001.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b242/ ... gp8645.jpg

Regards,