134 Observations on the Purity of Standard Gold, 



with that found at Arezzo. The weight of two of these, 

 completely similar in external appearance, was precisely 176 

 grains of Florence each. The same weight was found in 

 another distinguished by a monogram formed by a large K, 

 and a little o ; the same weight in another which had a 

 thunderbolt; the same in another with a vase; and lastly, 

 in another with a grain of wheat, the mark or' the Leontini. 

 These six weights or' the largest staterae which remain, and 

 which are equal, gave grounds for concluding that the 

 above was the weight prescribed for the Greek money. 

 This being granted, we may infer that the drachma weighed 

 88 grains. (Koine de PJsle assigns three grains more to 

 the great Attic drachma.) The proof of the accuracy 

 of this calculation is to be found in the Athenian demi- 

 drachma, or x\siatic drachma, or the fourth part of the 

 statera of Philip, which is preserved in the same gallery : 

 this fragment weighs precisely 4-J- grains. The face of this 

 small piece of gold presents the head of Hercules covered 

 with a lion's skin, and on the reverse we see the bow, the 

 vase, and club. M. JMillin has communicated to me the 

 weight of five staterae preserved in the Imperial library, 

 which are as follow : No. 1. 160*5 grains ; No. 2. 1(3 1 grains 

 precisely; No. 3. 1 6 1 grains; No. 4. 162 grains precisely; 

 No. 5. 16-2 grains. The two heaviest seem to be so from 

 having bf en less worn. The largest would answer to 175-16 

 grains of Florence, and would be lighter by gr. 0*84 than 

 ours, which ought therefore to be regarded, as less worn 

 and more precise. 



Mr. Greaves, in England, weighed two staterae of Alexan- 

 der, one of which was 133 English grains, and the other 

 133 and a half. He thought that the half-grain had been^ 

 wasted by friction, and he concluded that the drachma 

 ought to be reputed as being precisely at 67 grains. The 

 second weight as given by Mr. Greaves would be equivalent 

 to 87 grains and six-tenths of Florence. Snellius found the 

 statera of Philip and of Alexander to weigh 179 Dutch 

 grains, which makes 124 and a half English; and this, ac- 

 cording to the foregoing comparison, would give to the 

 drachma in Florence weight 87 grains Q ; all of them be- 

 ing a little lighter, but closely approaching that which we 

 had fixed at 68 grains. 



Barthelemy, in France, found after various weighings 

 that the drachma was precisely 81 French grains and an 

 eighth : now, by the foregoing comparison, we ought to 

 have for the drachma in Florence weight 87 grains and 

 three* fourths. But this last author wishes to suppose a 



friction 



