A Beam scale ... and a question on the date

fernando · 20th September 2015, 04:31 PM

Just another (very) old beam (Roman?) type scale. With a reasonable dimension, with its 70 cms. length.
Just bought in a local flea market; only later noticed one of the hooks is incomplete. Still the price covers the gap, though.
My question goes for the date in gold (?) figures. I can go as far as 17?5. Anyone to bet on the whole date ? Could it be 1745 ?
I would appreciate your Gentlemen's guess ... or certainty.

.

Lee · 21st September 2015, 09:44 PM

Very, very nice.

Could it be the Islamic calendar (AH)? If it starts with '11' instead of '17' this is likely the case and would point to the 18th century (AD).

I also bought an old scale at a flea market this summer. It is of the 'steelyard' type with a brass pan and I am pretty sure it is from the sphere of Ottoman influence. Some parts are old and other parts are somewhat later.

Yours is nicer.

fernando · 22nd September 2015, 07:18 PM

Thank you for your words and your perspective of the date, Lee. It instantly caught me as only plausible but then, after some reasoning, we would then have that, if it were a AH date, the digits were written in arabic, whereas the last one appears to be a strict 5 in the European manner, while not resembling any Arabic number. On the other hand, the third digit doesn't fit in either system, unless we admit a stylized trace, which i don't see in any number chart out there.
Eventualy in both cases the date would equally fall into the 18th century, which makes it plausible, but doesn't help to exclude one or another criteria.
I should add that, in the opposite side of the beam, there are traces of another golden inscription, only that they are too faded to make out anything of them.
I will have to take better pictures of the whole set; an existing far better texture should be shown. But for now i handed it over to a local (naval) smith, to rebuild the missing hook arm; hoping i will not regret the adventure.

.

fernando · 23rd September 2015, 08:44 PM

I took another set of pictures but the achievements were far from desired.
Nevertheless i may now show how the hook was restored, which i think was a rather nice work, much better than i expected. I am using domestic bleech to oxidize the small section of the welding, that had to be grinded; no big deal.
I am also showing a larger picture of the back face of the beam, where the other inscription remains unreadable.
One thing i ignore what it is for, is that wire loop in the center, under the pivot; could it be for transportation ? i doubt.

.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 23rd September 2015, 09:18 PM

Nice Scales... Often the Othmanli (Ottoman) scales have the Tugra of the Ottoman Empire stamped on them... The date of possibly 1795/1745 ??? is plausible.

Please note http://kurkman.com/images/Armenianobserver.jpg where by following the last papagraph a lead may be obtained in this interesting field..

SEE http://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/2008/...nd-scales.html

fernando · 24th September 2015, 07:11 PM

Thank you Ibrahiim.
Having bought this in a local flea market, i would hardly assume that this example is not Portuguese. Yes, the date must be around that; i just don't see a similar type of writing font out there.

20th September 2015, 04:31 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	A Beam scale ... and a question on the date Just another (very) old beam (Roman?) type scale. With a reasonable dimension, with its 70 cms. length. Just bought in a local flea market; only later noticed one of the hooks is incomplete. Still the price covers the gap, though. My question goes for the date in gold (?) figures. I can go as far as 17?5. Anyone to bet on the whole date ? Could it be 1745 ? I would appreciate your Gentlemen's guess ... or certainty. . Attached Images

22nd September 2015, 07:18 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you for your words and your perspective of the date, Lee. It instantly caught me as only plausible but then, after some reasoning, we would then have that, if it were a AH date, the digits were written in arabic, whereas the last one appears to be a strict 5 in the European manner, while not resembling any Arabic number. On the other hand, the third digit doesn't fit in either system, unless we admit a stylized trace, which i don't see in any number chart out there. Eventualy in both cases the date would equally fall into the 18th century, which makes it plausible, but doesn't help to exclude one or another criteria. I should add that, in the opposite side of the beam, there are traces of another golden inscription, only that they are too faded to make out anything of them. I will have to take better pictures of the whole set; an existing far better texture should be shown. But for now i handed it over to a local (naval) smith, to rebuild the missing hook arm; hoping i will not regret the adventure. . Attached Images

23rd September 2015, 08:44 PM	#4
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	I took another set of pictures but the achievements were far from desired. Nevertheless i may now show how the hook was restored, which i think was a rather nice work, much better than i expected. I am using domestic bleech to oxidize the small section of the welding, that had to be grinded; no big deal. I am also showing a larger picture of the back face of the beam, where the other inscription remains unreadable. One thing i ignore what it is for, is that wire loop in the center, under the pivot; could it be for transportation ? i doubt. . Attached Images

23rd September 2015, 09:18 PM	#5
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Ottoman Scales. Nice Scales... Often the Othmanli (Ottoman) scales have the Tugra of the Ottoman Empire stamped on them... The date of possibly 1795/1745 ??? is plausible. Please note http://kurkman.com/images/Armenianobserver.jpg where by following the last papagraph a lead may be obtained in this interesting field.. SEE http://maviboncuk.blogspot.com/2008/...nd-scales.html Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 23rd September 2015 at 09:41 PM.

21st September 2015, 09:44 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 914	Very, very nice. Could it be the Islamic calendar (AH)? If it starts with '11' instead of '17' this is likely the case and would point to the 18th century (AD). I also bought an old scale at a flea market this summer. It is of the 'steelyard' type with a brass pan and I am pretty sure it is from the sphere of Ottoman influence. Some parts are old and other parts are somewhat later. Yours is nicer.

24th September 2015, 07:11 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you Ibrahiim. Having bought this in a local flea market, i would hardly assume that this example is not Portuguese. Yes, the date must be around that; i just don't see a similar type of writing font out there.