WEIGHTS, MEASURES, AND MONEY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2252, 14 October 1889, Page 2

WEIGHTS, MEASURES, AND MONEY

Mr Joseph Newton, of Home Hill, who was for m my yourn as exeoutivo cffioer of hor Mnjeaty a Mint, furniahes na with tho follawiuK information m respect of bronze oolna«;e. Ho anya it: is not generally known that the penoe, halfpence, and farthings, with which all are familiar, and whioh now number hundreds of millions, are really preoiso weights and measures as well bb tokvns of value. Eaoh poand weight avoirdupois of bronze is out into 44 ponce, and thiu gives, theroforo, throe pieces ti> the ounco. The oblnn are exsotly ono inoh and one-fifth of an Inoh In diameter— thus, if 10 of them bo placed m line oil a flat surface, touohing eaol\ otbeir, th<*y will measure ong foo^— np more nor leia— whilst SjO will, of poqrse giyo a yar^.' With respept to the h,»lf - ponny coinage QQ pieote are produced, fronji eaoh pound of the metal, qnd Wk *nal«8 fivo h^fpenQA weigh oup opnoe, IJjfi*' ate all pr^piHeHy qne inch In <ttnD>"tar t hnd'aa a caneequence, J ? 6? them, placed as JB9ntinai)tl, will moaauro ono foot, and 96 one yard. With reapeot to the bumble fnrihlng, daaplscd as it aomolimes I Ih, that ulao hod Its nrofal ohn»rnqtorlatlo« m tho dirnotionti nam.cd Thoro are 160 suoh nleccfl to the p><und weight, and t!i |n ftlVes 10 fnrthlngs to the oonoo. The dUraotor of tho coin la eight-tenths of an Inoh, and 14 of thorn, with ono halfpenny pleoe added, make ouo foot preolaelyr 1% la hardly neo aeary, JVJr l^owtjoa thbka, to spoolfy any of the ixmaraorablo purposes (to VJ.b.lcM H knowledge of *.ho«o hots will - nunblo ponaeasera of bro>. z> oolob to apply the money b, but, pei'iiapa, as postal weights they mny be found most astful. Worn or badly treated oolns, of oonrso, should not bo used as woldhis and measqreo, but h\\ otheva may be safely so employed. When tho pleoes firit leave tbe Mint, they may be s»ld to be mitheroatloi\ly »ud miotomßWoally correct lo dimontjiOQi •• glvoo »boTi.—^cl\io^, •