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 Replies: 7 / Views: 1,971 |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
175 Posts |
I get a lot of help from all the good people on this forum but to prove that I can find things myself I wanted to share this realy interesting medal. commemorating the famine of 1771-1772 in Saxony, displaying food prices of the time. Approx 44.3mm ang 15g silver (well I'm pretty sure it is silver)may be lead  anybody want to have a go at a translation of the foods Edited by laverdajohn
10/19/2014 2:58 pm
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
"Geburgegolt (Buergergold)" refer to the local currency
"1 Sch: Korn. 13 Th" = 1 Scheffel Grain 13 Thaler
"1 Sch: Waitzen (Weizen). 14 Th" = 1 Scheffel Wheat 14 Thaler
"1 Sch: Gerste. 9 Th" = 1 Scheffel Barley 9 Thaler
"1 Sch: Haber (Hafer): 6 Th" = 1 Scheffel Oats 6 Thaler
"1 lb: Butter: 8 gr" = 1 Pfund Butter: 8 Groschen
"1 lb" Brod (Brot) 2 gr" = 1 Pfund Bread" 2 Groschen"
The writing is using the local dialect (or at least a variant of high German which was not fully standardised at that time).
With wheat, barley and oats mentioned separately I assume that 'grain' refers to spelt or something similar.
'Scheffel' was a capacity of measure (like bushel), which varied regionally, usually between 50 and 120 litres. (*)
'Pfund' was a measure of weight, which just the same was different in different regions, somewhere between 400 and 500 grams. (*)
Thaler was a standard large coin (the silver weight within it varied regionally but was later standardised), the Dollar derives its name from it. Groschen was a subdivision of the Thaler, mostly 1/24th.
(*) In Saxony itself different 'Scheffel' were used, one ~104 litres and the other ~107 litres.
And there were different 'Pfund' weights in Saxony used as well: the normal mercantile 'Pfund' was ~467.2 grams but the mining 'Pfund' was ~467.6 grams (just a little heavier) and finally there was the apothecary 'Pfund' being 3/4 of the mercantile one, ie ~350.4 grams (sounds very much like the current American system, doesn't it?).
While 'Scheffel' isn't used in everyday German as a specific measure anymore, 'Pfund' still is and refers to the metricised 'Pfund' of 1/2 kg = 500 grams.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
The pfund/pound is not the only European remnant of the Roman libra. Oddly enough in parts of rural France 500 grams is un livre
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2133 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2133 Posts |
Quote:
Oddly enough in parts of rural France 500 grams is un livre l e livre is for the book l a livre is for a pound of money or a pound weight |
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Pillar of the Community
3772 Posts |
Quote:
Oddly enough in parts of rural France 500 grams is un livre Not odd at all. Prior to 1812 when the 'livre' was metricised to 500g it was between 403g and 489g. So, just as in Germany the name of the old measure survives but in a standardised form. How many antiquated measures survive in the United Kingdom? |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
510 Posts |
And don't forget that prior to the revolution, France used the Lsd system with the same ratios as Britain
12 deniers = 1 sol, 20 sols = 1 livre
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Replies: 7 / Views: 1,971 |
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Posted 10/19/2014 6:32 pm
