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 Replies: 7 / Views: 2,050 |
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Pillar of the Community
778 Posts |
What was the target weight of Pine (or Oak) Tree Shillings, or perhaps of British Shillings of the mid-17th Century?
Per page 80 of Crosby, the Massachusetts Bay Colony in May of 1672 passed an act regarding the weight testing and counterstamping of Spanish 8 reals. The third paragraph deals with those pieces found to be underweight.
In part, "that peeces of eight vnder the weight of sixe shillings . . . . be impressed vpon the stamp how much each peece doth weigh in legible figures, wth the other letters on ye samew, & of the same Alloy".
I would like to know how many grams this 6 shilling limit amounted to.
Thanks,
Bill
Edited by BillSnyder
07/27/2014 7:22 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5854 Posts |
If I am not mistaken, I believe the pine tree shillings were suppose to be 72 grains.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4897 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
 778 Posts |
Humm.
72 gr = 4.6655grams
6 * 4.6655 = 27.993 grams. That's more than the 27.8642 gram target for a new 8 real.
The act then must refer to some shilling other than a Pine Tree and I phrased my question incorrectly.
Thanks for your help,
Bill
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Pillar of the Community
778 Posts |
Also, thanks amida17. I hadn't thought to look on the Notre Dame site.
Quite a range!
Bill
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3343 Posts |
Colonial shilling weight is low to English weight by about 33% to retain the coins in the colony. http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCurrency...roValue.htmlIn the 1650's English shillings weighed 6 grams, so the expected weight of a colonial shilling would be 4 grams. "Two minutes ago I would have sold my chances for a tired dime." Fred Astaire
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
The English shilling of 1666-85 weighed 5.7 to 5.9 grams.
(ref. Coincraft's 1998 Standard Catalogue, p.519)
Average weight 5.8 grams? (my comment)
Therefore, six shilings weighs 6 x 5.8 grams = 34.8 grams.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
856 Posts |
English shillings were meant to weigh 6g / 92grains though circulated examples can be anywhere between 5.6 and 6.2g.
Sounds like Pine trees were, like Irish coins, lighter to ensure retention. Assuming the silver was the same purity.
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Replies: 7 / Views: 2,050 |
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Posted 07/27/2014 8:43 pm
