Colonial Acres Coins
SKU: SKU:Aug.Week1.P1-KB2171
Pair of USA Henry Troemner Apothecary Weights, 2pcs
Pair of USA Henry Troemner Apothecary Weights, 2pcs
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Pair of USA Henry Troemner Apothecary Weights, 2pcs
Until the mid-20th century, pharmacists in the United Kingdom and most of its former colonies used tokens like these in weighing and measuring precise doses of medicine. The smallest unit of this system is called a "grain," a reference to the literal weight of a single grain of wheat or barley in Roman times. As time passed, the system fell out of favour with everyone except for druggists, who still widely used Latin recipes and notations, and so it became known as the apothecary system. These weights were not perfect -- they could, for example, become dirty, and thus gained a small amount of weight over time -- but they were good enough for measuring accurate-enough doses relatively quickly. They were used until double-pan scales began to be replaced by electronic ones, rendering them curiosities for antique collectors today.
These weights were not necessarily used in Philadelphia, but were manufactured by Henry Troemner, one of the US's largest manufacturers of apothecary weights. Dating them can be difficult, since the same designs were used for quite a long period of time. Troemner and his family made apothecary weights until 1955.
Until the mid-20th century, pharmacists in the United Kingdom and most of its former colonies used tokens like these in weighing and measuring precise doses of medicine. The smallest unit of this system is called a "grain," a reference to the literal weight of a single grain of wheat or barley in Roman times. As time passed, the system fell out of favour with everyone except for druggists, who still widely used Latin recipes and notations, and so it became known as the apothecary system. These weights were not perfect -- they could, for example, become dirty, and thus gained a small amount of weight over time -- but they were good enough for measuring accurate-enough doses relatively quickly. They were used until double-pan scales began to be replaced by electronic ones, rendering them curiosities for antique collectors today.
These weights were not necessarily used in Philadelphia, but were manufactured by Henry Troemner, one of the US's largest manufacturers of apothecary weights. Dating them can be difficult, since the same designs were used for quite a long period of time. Troemner and his family made apothecary weights until 1955.
