Borza Tibor (szerk.): A Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum évkönyve 1982 (Budapest, Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeum, 1982)
S. Nagy Anikó: Egy XVIII. századi aranymérleg a Magyar Kereskedelmi és Vendéglátóipari Múzeumban
Anikó S. Nagy A PAIR OF GOLDEN SCALES FROM THE 18 th CENTURY, ON DISPLAY IN THE HUNGARIAN MUSEUM OF TRADE AND THE CATERING ARTS (THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HUNGARIAN GOLD SOVEREIGN.) During the thirteenth century it became evident in Europe that the silver denarii were difficult to handle and gold coins gradually furnished the role of economic exchange. In the international monetary practice, side by side with the Florentine and Venetian gold, the Hungarian florin also played an important role. The gold florin coined in 1325 had preserved throughout its coinage, its original weight and standard, its obverse serving during the sixteenth and seventeenth centruies as models of foreign mintage. Foreign merchants had particularly extended their commercial practice to Hungary, in order to obtain Hungarian gold coins. The weight of cold coins was generally checked on a sensitive beam and, so called golden scales, to which belonged coinweights (coin samplex) and subsidiary weights. The weight of the coin corresponded to that of a golden coin, the distinguishing stamp of which had been minted on the obverse of the weigth. A set of weights, placed in a wooden casket contained approximately 20-40 coin-weights, representing all the significant gold-coins of the international money economy, among them, naturally the Hungarian gold-florin as well. The subsidiary weights serve to substantiate deficiencies in weight, if they may occur. In the Collection of the Hungarian Museum of the Commercial and Catering Arts the exhibited scales represent a conventional gold-scale, yet it is a special variety to check the weight of the Hungarian gold ducat. From the two scales (one with a diameter of 3,9, the other with 4 cm.), one of the copper pans is made of a thicker plate, with a stamp minted in its middle to standardize it. The picture on the stamp corresponds with those usual in sixteenth and seventeenth century gold-weights of the Hungarian gold florin: standing regal figures, wearing cloaks, in their right hands a battles-axe, in their left, the apple of the kingdom. On both siedes of the king's figure, there are the letters"H" and "D" (Hongers Ducat). The beam of the scales is pivoted by a quarter-circle copper plate, the weight of the scales, on it, there are six notches, corresponding to carat weights. The beam of the scales is in balance, if in the thinner pan a weight, (3,5 gram) equal with that of a Hungarian gold is being placed. Weighing (checking) can thus be made without any special coin and subsidiary weight. The scales are placed in a walnut case, on its cover is the dating of 1768, with the details of a miner's pick-axe, as part of a wax seal. Golden scales were generally made by minters who were at the same time practitioners of the goldsmith's trade. If we accept the view that on the detail of the seal we can see the town of Nagybánya, then from what remained from the seal ofNagybánya's goldsmith's seal, we can believe that the scales are also of Nagybánya workmanshp and were used there, all this connecting it with the Nagybánya mint.
