Page:Origin of metallic currency and weight standards.djvu/175



1. Nên-Vang, loaf of gold              = 10 lu'ong or taels (ounces). 2. Thoi-Vang or Nua Nên-Vang         =  5 lu'ong. 3. Lu'ong-Vang, nail of gold           =  1 lu'ong (39·05 grammes). 4. Nua-Vang, half nail of gold         =  1/2 lu'ong. 5. The quarter lu'ong                  =  1/4 tael (9·762 gram.). 1. Nên-bac, loaf of silver             = 10 lu'ong or taels. 2. Nua Nên-bac, half loaf of silver    = 5 lu'ong. 3. Lu'ong or Dinh-bac, nail of silver = 1 tael. 4. Half Lu'ong, half nail              = 1/2 tael. 5. Quarter Lu'ong                      = 1/4 tael (9·762 gram.). The lowest unit then was the quarter nail of 152-1/2 grains troy, whilst the largest was the nên of 6500 grains. These ingots did not circulate freely but were generally kept in wealthy families as reserve treasure. In very similar manner in Greece and Italy gold and silver, fashioned into talents and bars or wedges, were employed side by side with the bronze oboli or spits which served as the ordinary currency of every-day life. We have now seen that the highest unit employed for silver and gold is the Nên or bar of ten taels or ounces. Before going further it will be convenient to describe briefly what we may term the Chinese system of avoirdupois weight. Then we shall give the system borrowed from the Chinese and used in Cambodia and Cochin-China. Chinese.

10 fên     = 1 ch'en[2] (mace). 10 ch'en[2] = 1 liang, tael or ounce. 16 tael    = 1 chin, commonly known as catty, = 1-1/3 lbs. English. 100 catties   = 1 tan or shih[4], commonly known to us as the picul (= 133-1/3 lbs. English).