What Are Coin Weights?
Coin weights are small, most typically metal objects (although glass was also popular) used to verify the weight of coins, particularly those made of gold and silver. Before the standardized banking and more modern coinage reforms, the value of a coin was based on its precious metal content rather than a fixed denomination. Because of this, counterfeiters often clipped or shaved coins, reducing their weight while attempting to pass them off at full value. Coin weights allowed traders, moneychangers, and merchants to check that a coin met the correct weight for its type.
How Coin Weights Were Used
Most coin weights were square, rectangular, or circular and made from brass, bronze, or lead. They were calibrated to specific coin denominations and often bore designs, inscriptions, or…
