Ancient Gallo Roman Bronze Steelyard Weight

Period: 200-300

Origin: Gallo Roman

Medium: Bronze

Literature: This bronze figure once acted as a counterweight for a steelyard balance and was probably used in a market or shop. The scale pan hung from the shorter arm of the balance, and the counterweight hung from a loop, which freely moved along a graduated scale along the longer arm. There were usually two alternative positions of the fulcrum and two corresponding graduated scales reading from 1 to 14 and from 10 to 50.
Standard weights and measures were a very important feature of the Roman commercial system. The official standards were laid down in Rome and became the point of reference for the whole of the ancient trading empire.