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Auction: 3014 - Ancient, English & Foreign Coins & Commemorative Medals
Lot: 680

A collection of Ottoman coin scales or balances, (30), all different, of cruciform hand held weighted rocker design, in different woods, ivory, bone, brass and nickel, 76-115 mm. long, mainly 19th to early 20th century, some possibly earlier, with grooves for testing different coins with appropriate numbers, mostly in Arabic, and most with maker's names : 1. Rosewood, 110 mm., Moustafa Zeki ; name in Arabic and Latin, Arabic numerals 2. Walnut, 115 mm., Tarackçi Mahmud; name and numerals in Arabic 3. Walnut, 106 mm., Moustafa Zekil; name in Arabic and Latin, Arabic numerals 4. Cypress, 104 mm., Moustafa Zekil; name in Arabic and Latin, Arabic numerals 5. Cypress, 103 mm., Tarackçi Servet; name in Arabic and Latin, Arabic numerals (rubbed) 6. Tamarind, 106 mm., anonymous, Arabic numerals (faded) 7. Rosewood, 109 mm., Tarackçi Mahmud Sipahi, Arabic name with serial no.118, Arabic numerals 8. Ebony, 110 mm., anonymous, Arabic numerals 9. Ebony, 111 mm., Tarackçi Servet; name in Arabic and Latin with serial no.51, Latin numerals 10. Rosewood, 111 mm., Tarackçi Servet; name in Arabic and Latin with serial no.264, Taraktchilar in Arabic and Latin, Latin numerals 11. Cypress, 110 mm., Moustafa Zeki; name in Arabic and Latin, Arabic numerals 12. Boxwood, 109 mm., Moustafa Zeki; name and numerals in Arabic, name rubbed 13. Cypress, 110 mm., Tarackçi Omer Loutfi; name in Arabic and Latin, Latin numerals 14. Bone, bronze-plated tip, 100 mm., anonymous; Arabic numerals 15. Bone, 93 mm., anonymous; Latin numerals 16. Bone, bronze-plated tip, 103 mm., Tarackçi Mehmed, with serial/authorisation number 71; Arabic name and numerals 17. Bronze, 90 mm., anonymous; Arabic numerals 18. Alpaca, 92 mm., anonymous; Arabic numerals 19. Brass, 90 mm., Garabed; Latin name, Arabic numerals 20. Brass, 90 mm., anonymous, dated Paris 1805; Latin numerals 21.'Brass' (different alloy to no. 19), 91 mm., Garabed; Latin name, Arabic numerals 22. Alpaca, 100 mm., Dikran Solakian, rotating micrometer on beam, dated 1905 near centre of wheel, serial no. 1005; name in Latin, numerals in Arabic and Latin 23. Alpaca, 102 mm., Iskender Arabian, Constantinople, name in Latin on beam, Arabic in cartouche on tip, on wheel: brevetes g.d.g. No.1005, in arabic bi-berat-i 'ali (by decree of the Sultan) dh.k.y.1005; numerals in Arabic and Latin 24. Alpaca, 100 mm., Caran, dated 1905 near centre of wheel; name in Latin, numerals in Arabic and Latin 25. Brass, 102 mm., Megirditch; name in Latin, numerals in Arabic 26. Alpaca, 90 mm., Karabian, with slots for vertical insertion of coins, no.103 on inside of beams; name in Arabic and Latin, numerals in Latin 27. Alpaca, 90 mm., Krikor; name in Latin, numerals in Arabic 28. 'Brass', (different alloy from 19 and 21), 90 mm., Garabed; name in Latin, numerals in Arabic 29. Alpaca, 89 mm., anonymous; Latin numerals 30. Brass, 76 mm., anonymous; no numerals mostly in very good order, a most interesting collection Estimate £ 6,000-8,000 For description of a number of such balances see Garo Kürkman, Ottoman Weights and Measures, catalogue to the exhibit, Turk ve Islam Eserler Müzesi, Istanbul 14.10. - 14.12.1991, pp.92-3. Hand-rockers were known to the ancient Egyptians and were made by the Romans in bronze (depicted in murals in Pompeii). They were used in Ottoman countries until the beginning of the 20th century. Authorities differ on what the particular numbered grooves represented. Richard Lewisch (Eine Islamische Münzwaage, Eich- und Vermessunsmagazin, 1994, pp.51-55) states they are for an English Sovereign, Mejdiye (Yuzluk), and 20-Franc on one side, and their halves on the other side, with values expressed in Kurush (Sovereign -110, Mejdiye -100, 20-Francs -88). Others have stated that the slots 88 and 44 were for the Greek 20 and 10 drachma, and the slots 110 and 55 were for corresponding Egyptian coins, in Ottoman Piastres (see Newsletter, International Society of Antique Scale Collectors 1977, p.30, editorial note to "A few of our scales" by D.A. & J.S. Colker).

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£5,500