146

COMPOUND NUMBERS.

[SECT

metal by weight to 100 parts of alloy. The alloy of gold composed of silver and copper, the silver not to exceed th per in weight. The alloy of silver coin is pure copper.

Note.-The original standard for the gold coin of the United States of Congress, 1792, was 22 parts of pure gold to 2 parts of alloy; t consisting of 1 part silver and 1 part copper.

The original standard for the silver coin was 1489 parts of pure silve parts of alloy; the alloy being of pure copper.

The eagle by the same act contained 270 grains of standard gold. T lar contained 416 grains of standard silver. The cent contained 11 1 weights, or 264 grains of pure copper.

STERLING MONEY.

247. English or Sterling Money is the national currenc Great Britain.

4 farthings (gr. or far.) make 1 penny, marked

d.

S.

1 pound, or sovereign, £.

1 guinea.

OBS. 1. It is customary, at the present day, to express farthings in fract of a penny. Thus, 1 qr. is written d.; 2 qrs. d.; 3 qrs. ‡ d.

2. The Pound Sterling is represented by a gold coin, called a Sovere According to Act of Congress, 1842, its value is 4 dollars and 84 cents. Her the value of a shilling is 24 cents; that of a penny 2 cents, very nearly.

3. The letters £. s. d. and q. are the initials of the Latin words, libra, s dus, denarius, and quadrans, which respectively signifiy a pound, shillin penny, and farthing or quarter. The mark /, which is often placed betwe shillings and pence, is a corruption of the long s.

Note.-1. Sterling money is supposed by some to have received its nam from the Easterlings, who it is said first coined it; others think it is so calle to distinguish it from stocks, &c., whose value is nominal.

2. The pound is so called, because in ancient times the silver for it weighe a pound Troy. A pound Troy of silver is now worth 66 shillings, or £3, 6s. The Guinea is so called, because the gold of which it was originally made was brought from Guinea, on the coast of Africa.

248. The following denominations are frequently met with, viz: the Groat=4d.; the Crown=58.; the Noble-6s. 8d.;

QUEST.-247. What is Sterling Money? Repeat the Tal le ? Obs How are farthings usually expressed? How is a pound sterling represented? What is its value in dollars and cents?

the Angel 10s.; the Mark=13s. 4d.; the Pistole 16s. 10d. the Moidore=27s.

OBS. The present standard gold coin of Great Britain, consists of 22 parts pure gold, and 2 parts of copper.*

The weight of a Sovereign or £, is 5 pwts., 31

grains.

The standard silver coin consists of 37 parts of pure silver, and 3 parts of copper. The weight of a shilling is 3pwts. 15 grs.

In copper coin, 24 pence weigh 1 pound avoirdupois.

TROY WEIGHT.

249. Troy Weight is used in weighing gold, silver, jewels, liquors, &c., and is generally adopted in philosophical experiments.

OBS. 1. The abbreviation oz., is derived from the Spanish onza, which signifies an ounce.

2. The standard of Weights and Measures is different in different countries, and in different States of the Union. In 1834, the Government of the United States adopted a uniform standard, for the use of the several Custom-houses and other purposes.

250. The standard Unit of Weight adopted by the Government, is the Troy Pound of the United States Mint. It is equal to 22.794422 cubic inches of distilled water, at its maximum density, the barometer standing at 30 inches, and is identical with the Imperial Troy pound of Great Britain, established by Act of Parliament, in 1826.

OBS. The weights and measures in present use, were derived from very imperfect and variable standards. A grain of wheat, taken from the middle of the ear or head, and being thoroughly dried, was the original element of al. weights used in England, and was thence called a grain. At first, a weight

QUEST. 249. In what is Troy Weight used? Repeat the Table? Obs. Do all the States have the same standard of weights and measures? 250. What is the standard unit of weight adopted by the Government of the United States? Note. When was Troy Weight introduced into Europe? From what was its name derived?

* Hind's Arithmetic; also, Hutton's Mathematics.

The maximum density of water, according to Mr. Hassler, is at the temperature of 39-83 deg. Fahrenheit.

The Troy pound of the U. S. Mint, is an exact copy, by Captain Kater, of the British Imperial Troy pound. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury, March 3, 1831.

equal to 32 grains, was called a pennyweight, from its being the weight of the silver penny then in circulation. At a later period the pennyweight was divided into 24 equal parts instead of 32, which are still called grains, being the smallest weight now in common use.

Note.-Troy Weight was formerly used in weighing articles of every kind. It was introduced into Europe from Cairo in Egypt, about the time of the Crusades, in the 12th century. Some suppose its name was derived from Troyes, a city in France, which first adopted it; others think it was derived from Troy-novant, the former name of London.*

AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT.

251. Avoirdupois Weight is used in weighing groceries and all coarse articles; as, sugar, tea, coffee, butter, cheese, flour, hay, &c., and all metals except gold and silver.

Note. In weighing wool in England, 7 pounds make 1 clove; 2 cloves, 1 stone; 2 stone, 1 tod; 6 tods, 1 wey; 2 weys, 1 sack; 12 sacks, 1 last; 240 pounds, 1 pack.

OBS. 1. Formerly it was the custom to allow 112 pounds for a hundred weight, and 28 pounds for a quarter; but this practice has become nearly or quite obsolete. In buying and selling all articles of commerce estimated by weight, the laws of most of the States as well as general usage, call 100 pounds a hundred weight, and 25 pounds a quarter.

2. Gross weight is the weight of goods with the boxes, casks, or bags which contain them.

Net weight is the weight of the goods only.

252. The Avoirdupois Pound of the United States, is equal to 27.701554 cubic inches of distilled water, at the maximum density, and at 30 inches barometer. It is determined from the Troy Pound, by the legal proportions of 5760 grains, which con

QUEST.-251. In what is Avoirdupois Weight used? Repeat the Table? Cbs. How many pounds were formerly allowed for a hundred weight? For a quarter? What is gross weight? Net weight? 252. How is the Avoirdupois pound of the United States determined?

*Hind's Arithmetic, Art. 224. Also, North American Review, Vol. XLV.

† Reports of Secretary of Treasury, March 3, 1832: June 30, 1832. Also, Congressional Documents of 1833.

stitute the Troy pound, to 7000 grains Troy, which constit

Avoirdupois pound. That is,

OBS. 1. The British Imperial Pound Avoirdupois is equal to 27 72 inches of distilled water, at the temperature of 62° Fahrenheit, w barometer stands at 30°. It is determined from the Imperial Troy which contains 5760 grains, while the former contains 7000 grains.

2. Since the Troy pound of the United States is identical with th pound of England, the Avoirdupois pound of the former must be equa of the latter; for both bear the same ratio to the Troy pound. But t lish avoirdupois pound is said to contain 27.7274 cu. in. of distilled while that of the United States, according to Mr. Hassler, contains 27 cu. in. This slight difference may be accounted for by the fact that mer was measured at the temperature of 62', while the latter was m at its maximum density, which is 39.83 degrees.

3. The standard of weight adopted by the State of New York, in 182 avoirdupois pound, whose magnitude is such that a cubic foot of water, at the maximum density, in a vacuum, will weigh 62 pounds,

ounces.

Note. The term avoirdupois, is thought by some to be derived f French avoir du poids, a phrase signifying to have weight. Others is from avoirs, the ancient name of goods or chattels, and poids sig weight in the Norman dialect.*

APOTHECARIES' WEIGHT.

253. Apothecaries' Weight is used by apothecaries and sicians in mixing medicines.

OBS. 1. The pound and ounce in this weight are the same, as th pound and ounce; the other denominations are different.

2. Drugs and medicines are bought and sold by avoirdupois weight.

QUEST.-253. In what is Apothecaries' Weight used? Recite the Table ? what are the apothecaries' ounce and pound equal? How are drugs and medicine and sold?

• President John Quincy Adams on Weights and Measures ; also, Hind's Arith

LONG MEASURE,

254. Long Measure is used in measuring distances where length only is considered, without regard to breadth or depth. It is frequently called linear or lineal measure.

360 degrees make a great circle, or the circumference of the earth.

Note.--4 inches make 1 hand; 9 inches, 1 span; 18 inches, 1 cubit; 6 feet, 1 fathom.

In measuring roads and land, surveyors use a chain which is 4 rods long, and which is divided into 100 links. Hence, 25 links make 1 rod, and 7-22 inches make 1 link. This chain is commonly called Gunter's Chain, from the name of its inventor.

OBS. 1. The inch is commonly divided either into eighths or tenths; sometimes, however, it is divided into twelfths, which are called lines. Formerly the inch was divided into 3 barleycorns; but the barleycorn is not employed as a measure at the present day. The term barleycorn, is derived from a grain of barley, which was the original element of Linear Measure.

2. The terms rod, pole, and perch, from the French perche signifying a rod are each expressive of the instrument, which was originally used as a measure of this length.

255. The standard Unit of Length adopted by the United States, is the Yard of 3 feet, or 36 inches, and is identical with the British Imperial Yard. It is made of brass, at the temperature of 62° Fahrenheit, from the scale of eighty-two inches prepared by Troughton, a celebrated English artist, for the survey of the Coast of the United States.

OBS. 1. The Imperial standard yard of Great Britain is determined from the pendulum which vibrates seconds in a vacuum, at the level of the sea, in

QUEST.-254. In what is Long Measure used? What is Long Measure sometimes called? Recite the Table ? Obs. How are inches usually divided? What is the origin of the measure called barleycorn? Is this measure now used? 255. What is the standard unit of Length adopted by the United States?