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[Guest d5ale]

I think its a coin weight

[Geordie582 18]

Anything on the reverse?

[Chris Perkins 228]

Ok, I'll delete the other 2 topics that you started on this Dave!

[guyincog 0]

It's a brass guinea weight.

21 = 21 Shillings

Most likely 18th century.

[Guest Guest]

It is indeed a coin weight for a guinea.

Expanding what it says on the piece:

21s = 21 shillings [i.e. a guinea]

5*9 = 5 pennyweight 9 grains

For a guinea to be legal tender, it was required to weigh at least this amount. Any less and it would have to be treated as scrap gold, with a loss of at least sixpence (a significant sum in those days).

There were also weights for halves, thirds and quarters, as well as for foreign gold (and even a 5 pennyweight and 6 grans weight for coins of "George III up to 1st January 1772" for them to be used at a value of 20s 6d, i.e. twenty shillings and six pence).

From the style I'd suggest late 18th century (probably about 1770 to 1800).

Ron H-W