https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/templates/general_wide/img/logo.png https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights.html https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/lead-weights/lead-weight-59062.html Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:36:29 GMT Lead weights  

Description:		A plano-convex cast lead weight with a large as-cast central hole. The use of lead weights of this type is uncertain, and they are generally undateable. Some might have served as spindle whorls, but other possibilities include, net weights, loom weights, etc. Note In order to keep recorded items of this type together they are categorized on the database under 'medieval>>weights; but this is for convenience only and should not be regarded as an indicator of the actual date of their manufacture.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Lead weights
Category:		Lead weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/lead-weights/lead-weights-59060.html Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:44:42 GMT Lead weights  

Description:		A group of three cast lead weights from the River Medway, most likely of medieval to early post-medieval date. Two are conical, hollow, and have pierced holes at the apex. The third is conical, solid and roughly pierced through the axial centre. The hollow examples may well be net weights, with the recess trapping the net knot inside. The solid one is possibly a large fishing weight.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Lead weights
Category:		Lead weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/lead-weights/lead-weight-59056.html Sat, 06 Dec 2025 12:14:17 GMT Lead weights  

Description:		A lead ’standing weight’ of slightly tapered sub-circular cross-section with a flat base and an integral pierced lug at the apex. The dating of lead weights of this general type is very problematic. They are plausibly late medieval, and Norman Biggs illustrates a group of similar examples in English Weights, which he suggests are "probably 12th-13th century". Lead, however, continued to be the metal most frequently used for trade weights until the end of the 17th century, and its use was not actually banned until 1834.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Lead weights
Category:		Lead weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/bullion-weights/bullion-weight-59054.html Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:11:38 GMT Bullion weights  

Description:		A small irregular hexagonal object, tentatively identified as a late medieval bullion weight. One face of the object is stamped with the letters XVI; the other side is plain. The letters are of a Lombardic style similar to that found on English coins of the mid-14th to mid-15th century, viz. 'X' is of curule-chair shape, 'V' has expanding limbs, 'I' has incurved sides, and limbs of all three letters have fishtail terminals. The tentative identification is based on the assumption that XVI refers to a weight of sixteen grains (= 1.04g approx.), although the recorded weight of 1.2g is a little on the high side. Another possibility is that the object could be a coin-weight for silver pennies of the period 1351-1413, which had a standard weight of 18 grains (1.17g approx). The latter possibility seems less likely, but the relative merits of both are discussed in more detail below. Discussion A total of five weights of this general type, summarised below, is now known to the writer: UKDFD 59054 - 1.2g, hexagonal UKDFD 41489 - 1.2g, rectangular PUBLIC-ECE244 - 1.2g, square NARC-72BF95  - 1.0g, sub-rectangular WAW-613194  - 0.9g, octagonal The features common to all the above weights are that they are stamped with the Roman numeral XVI alone, and that the letters are of Lombardic style. The diverse shapes of the weights might be due to fine adjustment during manufacture, but do not otherwise appear to be relevant. The variation in recorded weights, 0.9g to 1.2g, might be due to subsequent adjustment or inaccurate weighing, but the fact that three of the five examples are recorded at 1.2g suggests that this was most likely the original intended figure (the average of the five is 1.1g). The case for the tentative bullion weight identification is primarily that XVI represents the denomination and that the recorded weight of the object is fairly close to 16 grains. A credible argument against this identification is that 16 grains seems an unusual (non-binary) division of a 24 grain pennyweight. The case for the possible alternative coin-weight identification is that 1.2g is close to the weight of an English penny of the period during which the object was most likely made. It is also a fact that tumbrels for weighing individual pennies were in use at this time. A credible argument against this identification is that 16 does not have any known association with pennies. One possibility explored is that XVI represents the fraction 1/16 rather than the number 16, as is the case with certain coin-weights made in the Low Countries for checking English gold coins. Examples of these include those marked XXXVI and XXXII to indicate that 36 and 32 English nobles and rose-nobles respectively were struck from a Troyes gold mark. However, no analogous weight standards for circa 19,2g (i.e. 16 x 1.2g) have been traced. The English ounce, for example, has always been in the 28g-32g range, regardless of the applicable standard.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Bullion weights
Category:		Bullion weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/coin-weights/coin-weight-ecu-32474.html Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT Coin-weights  

Description:		A circular uniface coin-weight for the French gold ecu or half ecu. The weight has a crowned shield containing three fleurs-de-lis and all set within two outer circles. The ecu circulated in England, and in 1525 was worth four shillings.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Coin-weights
Category:		Coin-weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/coin-weights/coin-weight-ecu-51689.html Tue, 27 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMT Coin-weights  

Description:		A circular uniface coin-weight for checking the French gold ecu. The weight has a crowned shield bearing three fleurs-de-lis. The ecu circulated in England, and in 1525 was worth four shillings.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Coin-weights
Category:		Coin-weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/coin-weights/coin-weight-ecu-59027.html Thu, 20 Nov 2025 16:34:15 GMT Coin-weights  

Description:		A circular uniface coin-weight for checking the French gold écu. The weight depicts a shield bearing three fleurs-de-lis surrounded by the inscription, PES DE L ESCVT D, a variant version of POIDS DE L’ÉCU D'OR - weight of the gold écu. ('Escut' is an Old French word that was commonly used to mean both a shield and a coin with a shield on it. The modern English word 'escutcheon' is derived from it.) The present coin-weight is a rare early type, but weights for the French écu, more generally, are found widely in England, reflecting the circulation of the coin in Anglo-French trade. During the period of its issue, the weight of the écu progressively declined, and at 4.37g the present coin-weight would be for checking an écu struck during the mid to late 14th century (see below). The Lombardic-style lettering of the inscription is also consistent with this early date. The French écu d'or was first issued in 1266 during the reign of Louis IX, but gold coins were not in general circulation in England until Edward III's issue of nobles and their fractions in the mid-14th century. The coin-weight will therefore be for checking a later issue of the écu, most likely the écu d’or à la couronne issued under Charles VI (1380-1422). This coin, like the weight itself, depicts the shield of 'France modern' (three fleurs-de-lis), which had fully superseded the shield of 'France ancient' (many fleurs-de-lis) by the beginning of this reign. During the 15th and 16th centuries, the weight and fineness of the écu declined, and the denomination was finally replaced by the Louis d'or in 1640. The similar examples cited in References below have other variants of the inscription: POYS DE L ESCV DVR and POIDS DE L ESCV GVRT, respectively. See also, PAS: NLM-1EF5F1.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Coin-weights
Category:		Coin-weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/lead-weights/lead-weight-59017.html Mon, 17 Nov 2025 19:37:37 GMT Lead weights  

Description:		A lead ’standing weight’ of slightly tapered hexagonal cross-section with a flat base and an integral pierced lug at the apex. At a recorded value of 19.3g, the weight does not conform to any of the usual binary divisions of the averdepois standard, but it is of closely similar form to other standing weights that appear to do so. (UKDFD 53061, UKDFD 53560 and UKDFD 53916, for example, are close to half, one and two ounces averdepois respectively.) The dating of lead weights of this general type is very problematic. They are plausibly late medieval, and Norman Biggs illustrates a group of similar examples in English Weights, which he suggests are "probably 12th-13th century". Lead, however, continued to be the metal most frequently used for trade weights until the end of the 17th century, and its use was not actually banned until 1834. From about the beginning of the 15th century, the legal requirements for trade weights to be officially verified became progressively more rigorous, and unmarked weights of later periods would not officially have been acceptable. Those that were verified can usually be dated, and from the 16th century onwards they are invariably flat (circular or shield-shaped), rather than of the standing weight form. Although unofficial weights will undoubtedly have continued in use for a very long time, it would seem unlikely that their form was conspicuously different to that of their official counterparts, as it would merely draw attention to their questionable status. The tentative dating shown below relies to a large extent on this argument.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Lead weights
Category:		Lead weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/lead-weights/lead-weight-58999.html Sun, 09 Nov 2025 13:04:23 GMT Lead weights  

Description:		An ovoid cast lead weight centrally pierced along the major axis. The dating of lead objects of this general type is problematic, and their use is invariably uncertain. The term 'weight' is used here in its broadest sense to include uses that do not involve weighing (e.g. holding-down tensioning, etc.). Those of the present form were probably mostly used as net weights, loom weights,etc.  Note In order to keep recorded items of this type together, they are categorised on the database under 'Medieval » Weights » Lead weights', but this is for convenience only and should not be regarded as an indicator of the actual date of their manufacture.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Lead weights
Category:		Lead weights

]]> https://www.ukdfd.co.uk/artefact/medieval/weights/coin-weights/coin-weight-58358.html Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:41:14 GMT Coin-weights  

Description:		A round uniface coin-weight depicting a rider on horseback left, with sword raised. The weight is very corroded but appears to be anepigraphic. The appearance of the weight is very similar to one for checking the French franc à cheval, as illustrated on page 32 of the first edition of Lions, Ships and Angels by P and B R Withers. However, at 2.8g it would seem very light for that coin, which has a standard weight of 3.89g. (It might alternatively be for checking the later half-rijder of the Low Countries, which, at circa 3.24g, is a little closer to the recorded figure.) See also UKDFD 35700.
Category:		Medieval, Weights, Coin-weights
Category:		Coin-weights

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