De Re Metallica Part 25

" 16th " 17 5 1/2 0 1 1-1/2 " 17th " 17 4 1 8 2 1/2 4 " 18th " 17 4 4 2 1-1/2 8

" 19th " 18 4 1 1 1 " 20th " 18 4 0 2 " 21st " 18 3 1 2 1

" 22nd " 19 2 1-1/2 1 1/2 " 23rd " 19 3 1/2 4 1 1 8 " 24th " 19 2 1-1/2 8 2 4

" 25th " 20 3 1 " 26th " 20 2 1 8 1 1/2 4 " 27th " 20 2 1/2 4 1 1 8

" 28th " 21 2 1/2 1-1/2 " 29th " 21 2 1 " 30th " 21 1 1-1/2 1 1/2

" 31st " 22 1 1 1 " 32nd " 22 1 1/2 4 0 1 8 " 33rd " 22 1 8 1-1/2 4

" 34th " 23 1-1/2 1/2 " 35th " 23 1 8 1/2 4 " 36th " 23 1 4 1/2 8 " 37th " pure gold.

Since it is rarely found that gold, which has been coined, does not amount to at least fifteen _duellae_ gold in a _bes_, some make only twenty-eight needles, and some make them different from those already described, inasmuch as the alloy of gold with silver and copper is sometimes differently proportioned.

These needles are made:--

Gold. Silver. Copper.

_Duellae_. _Duellae_ _Duellae_ _s.e.xtulae_ _s.e.xtulae_ _Siliquae_. _Siliquae_.

The 1st of 15 6 1 8 2 1/2 4 " 2nd " 15 6 4 2 1-1/2 8 " 3rd " 15 5 1/2 3 1-1/2

" 4th " 16 6 1/2 1 1-1/2 " 5th " 16 5 1 8 2 1/2 4 " 6th " 16 4 1-1/2 8 3 4

" 7th " 17 5 1 4 1 1/2 8 " 8th " 17 5 4 1 1-1/2 8 " 9th " 17 4 1 4 2 1/2 8

" 10th " 18 4 1 1 1 " 11th " 18 4 2 " 12th " 18 3 1 2 1

" 13th " 19 3 1-1/2 4 1 8 " 14th " 19 3 1/2 4 1 1 8 " 15th " 19 2 1-1/2 4 2 8

" 16th " 20 3 1 " 17th " 20 2 1 1 " 18th " 20 2 2

" 19th " 21 2 1/2 4 1 8 " 20th " 21 1 1-1/2 4 1 8 " 21st " 21 1 1 8 1 1/2 4

" 22nd " 22 1 1 8 1/2 4 " 23rd " 22 1 1 1 " 24th " 22 1 1/2 4 1 8

" 25th " 23 1-1/2 4 8 " 26th " 23 1-1/2 1/2 " 27th " 23 1 8 1/2 4 " 28th " pure gold

Next follows the fourth kind of needles, by which we test silver coins which contain copper, or copper coins which contain silver. The _bes_ by which we weigh the silver is divided in two different ways. It is either divided twelve times, into units of five _drachmae_ and one _scripulum_ each, which the ordinary people call _nummi_[41]; each of these units we again divide into twenty-four units of four _siliquae_ each, which the same ordinary people call a _grenlin_; or else the _bes_ is divided into sixteen _semunciae_ which are called _loths_, each of which is again divided into eighteen units of four _siliquae_ each, which they call _grenlin_. Or else the _bes_ is divided into sixteen _semunciae_, of which each is divided into four _drachmae_, and each _drachma_ into four _pfennige_. Needles are made in accordance with each method of dividing the _bes_. According to the first method, to the number of twenty-four half _nummi_; according to the second method, to the number of thirty-one half _semunciae_, that is to say a _sicilicus_; for if the needles were made to the number of the smaller weights, the number of needles would again be too large, and not a few of them, by reason of the small difference in proportion of silver or copper, would have no significance. We test both bars and coined money composed of silver and copper by both scales. The one is as follows: the first needle is made of twenty-three parts of copper and one part silver; whereby, whatsoever bar or coin, when rubbed on the touchstone, colours it just as this needle does, in that bar or money there is one twenty-fourth part of silver, and so also, in accordance with the proportion of silver, is known the remaining proportion of the copper.

The 1st needle is made of 23 parts of copper and 1 of silver.

" 2nd " " 22 " " 2 "

" 3rd " " 21 " " 3 "

" 4th " " 20 " " 4 "

" 5th " " 19 " " 5 "

" 6th " " 18 " " 6 "

" 7th " " 17 " " 7 "

" 8th " " 16 " " 8 "

" 9th " " 15 " " 9 "

" 10th " " 14 " " 10 "

" 11th " " 13 " " 11 "

" 12th " " 12 " " 12 "

" 13th " " 11 " " 13 "

" 14th " " 10 " " 14 "

" 15th " " 9 " " 15 "

" 16th " " 8 " " 16 "

" 17th " " 7 " " 17 "

" 18th " " 6 " " 18 "

" 19th " " 5 " " 19 "

" 20th " " 4 " " 20 "

" 21st " " 3 " " 21 "

" 22nd " " 2 " " 22 "

" 23rd " " 1 " " 23 "

" 24th of pure silver.

The other method of making needles is as follows:--

Copper. Silver.

_Semunciae_ _Sicilici._ _Semunciae_ _Sicilici._

The 1st is of 15 1 " 2nd " " 14 1 1 1 " 3rd " " 14 2

" 4th " " 13 1 2 1 " 5th " " 13 3 " 6th " " 12 1 3 1

" 7th " " 12 4 " 8th " " 11 1 4 1 " 9th " " 11 5

" 10th " " 10 1 5 1 " 11th " " 10 6 " 12th " " 9 1 6 1

" 13th " " 9 7 " 14th " " 8 1 7 1 " 15th " " 8 8

" 16th " " 7 1 8 1 " 17th " " 7 9 " 18th " " 6 1 9 1

" 19th " " 6 10 " 20th " " 5 1 10 1 " 21st " " 5 11

" 22nd " " 4 1 11 1 " 23rd " " 4 12 " 24th " " 3 1 12 1

" 25th " " 3 13 " 26th " " 2 1 13 1 " 27th " " 2 14

" 28th " " 1 1 14 1 " 29th " " 1 15 " 30th " " 1 15 1 " 31st of pure silver.

So much for this. Perhaps I have used more words than those most highly skilled in the art may require, but it is necessary for the understanding of these matters.

I will now speak of the weights, of which I have frequently made mention. Among mining people these are of two kinds, that is, the greater weights and the lesser weights. The _centumpondium_ is the first and largest weight, and of course consists of one hundred _librae_, and for that reason is called a hundred weight.

The various weights are:--

1st = 100 _librae_ = _centumpondium_.

2nd = 50 "

3rd = 25 "

4th = 16 "