Balances and Scales/Miners Improved Gold Scale II Closed

Balances and Scales

Miners Improved Gold Scale II Closed.jpg - MINERS' IMPROVED GOLD SCALE II - Tin cased miners gold scale, black exterior and orange interior color, marked MINERS’ IMPROVED GOLD SCALE in gold letters across top front and in gold letters MANUFACTURED EXPRESSLY FOR CALIFORNIA across bottom front with a classic spread-wing gold American eagle in the center clutching an olive branch and three arrows in its talons and bearing a shield across its breast,6 3/8 in. wide x 2 7/8 in. deep x 1 5/16 in. high in oval shape, brass beam, pans and chains with 4 uncommon dollar knobbed weights ($5,$3,$1,$1) and 1,2,4,5 grain weights, exterior painted surface with extensive wear but readable markings (The California Gold Rush produced a number of “California Goods” to identify and to be identified with this great adventure; boots, knives, brandy, and gold amalgamators filled the bill to name a few along with the miners pocket gold scales shown here; these pocket scales date from the 1850s and perhaps into the 1860s and came in a variety of bright colors including light and dark green, royal blue, dark yellow, ocher brown, red, and maroon among others and in both oval and rectangular shapes in sizes from up to 7 1/4 in. long by up to 3 1/2 in. wide and 1 1/2 in. deep; the more common exterior colors were red, brown and dark green while dark blue, yellow and black are rarer; most were marked Miners’ Improved Gold Scale as the model shown here; little is known about the makers, although some are thought to be German; all have brass beams, pans and suspension chains although some have iron pointers as the scale shown here; troy weights were typically included although this set has an interesting set of dollar weights. The dollar weights were used to convert the weight of gold being measured into a straightforward dollar value. The official value of gold was set by the US at $20.67 per troy ounce from 1837 till 1933. The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 increased the official value of gold to $35 per troy ounce. The dollar weights are the proper weight in troy ounces that would correspond to the dollar value pegged at the official gold price of $20.67 per troy ounce. For example, the $5 weight is roughly 1/4 troy ounce and so forth for the $3 and $1. It should be noted that an earlier pocket scale marked Miners Gold Scale without the Improved is found; see Millet, Mining Artifact Collector #8, pp 25-27)

Miners Improved Gold Scale II Closed | MINERS' IMPROVED GOLD SCALE II - Tin cased miners gold scale, black exterior and orange interior color, marked MINERS’ IMPROVED GOLD SCALE in gold letters across top front and in gold letters MANUFACTURED EXPRESSLY FOR CALIFORNIA across bottom front with a classic spread-wing gold American eagle in the center clutching an olive branch and three arrows in its talons and bearing a shield across its breast, 6 3/8 in. wide x 2 7/8 in. deep x 1 5/16 in. high in oval shape, brass beam, pans and chains with 4 uncommon dollar knobbed weights ($5,$3,$1,$1) and 1,2,4,5 grain weights, exterior painted surface with extensive wear but readable markings (The California Gold Rush produced a number of “California Goods” to identify and to be identified with this great adventure; boots, knives, brandy, and gold amalgamators filled the bill to name a few along with the miners pocket gold scales shown here; these pocket scales date from the 1850s and perhaps into the 1860s and came in a variety of bright colors including light and dark green, royal blue, dark yellow, ocher brown, red, and maroon among others and in both oval and rectangular shapes in sizes from up to 7 1/4 in. long by up to 3 1/2 in. wide and 1 1/2 in. deep; the more common exterior colors were red, brown and dark green while dark blue, yellow and black are rarer; most were marked Miners’ Improved Gold Scale as the model shown here; little is known about the makers, although some are thought to be German; all have brass beams, pans and suspension chains although some have iron pointers as the scale shown here; troy weights were typically included although this set has an interesting set of dollar weights. The dollar weights were used to convert the weight of gold being measured into a straightforward dollar value. The official value of gold was set by the US at $20.67 per troy ounce from 1837 till 1933. The Gold Reserve Act of 1934 increased the official value of gold to $35 per troy ounce. The dollar weights are the proper weight in troy ounces that would correspond to the dollar value pegged at the official gold price of $20.67 per troy ounce. For example, the $5 weight is roughly 1/4 troy ounce and so forth for the $3 and $1. It should be noted that an earlier pocket scale marked Miners Gold Scale without the Improved is found; see Millet, Mining Artifact Collector #8, pp 25-27)

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