Mint Place: France Mint Period: ca. 1860s Condition: Numerous small digs and scratches from use, otherwise intact and as pictured! Denomination: Brass Coin Weights - 500 Francs (OR) & 1000 Francs (OR) Composition: Brass Weight: 159.94gm, 320.49gm Diameter: 36mm, 42mm Height: 34mm, 42mm
Weights or measures marked as "500 francs" or "1000 francs" during the 1860s were not used for weighing currency. Instead, they were commercial calibration standards used to verify the purity and weight of large commercial transactions.
Merchants, bankers, and money changers used specialized scale weights to verify the integrity of coins. If a bag of coins fell short of the designated 1000-franc weight standard, it was a quick indicator that the coins were counterfeit, debased, or had been "clipped".