letter scale

Parkins & Gotto letter scale

The top lever arms of this postal balance bear the name PARKINS & GOTTO. This was a luxury stationary located at the address also engraved in the top levers of this letter scale: 24 & 25 OXFORD ST. This is an address in London, England. Yet this balance is most likely produced by the company SAMPSON MORDAN & Co., England. Mordan made high quality postal balances with excellent pivots. This balance is an equal arm balance, also called a Roberval balance, to the French mathematician Gilles Personne Roberval (1602-1675). Mordan balances exist in dozens of variations in implementation of the fixed frame, top plates and other

rear of the postal balance

scale parts. There are also many variations in the make of the base, both in terms of form and material. There are unique specimens and balances produced in series. There were over sixty companies in Great Britain known as resellers of Mordan balances. Of these nine thirty in London alone, and seven of them in direct competition on Regent's Street. (source: Equilibrium, EQM 2005, page 2993). Parkins & Gotto was one of those resellers. Some firms have only their company name on the postal scale instead of the maker's name S. Mordan & Co. And a few firms have their own company's name next to the makers name S. Mordan & Co.. on the scale. An interesting and detailed article about the many beautiful letter scales of S. Mordan & Co.. was written by Michael Crawforth in the tenth anniversary issue of Equilibrium in 1986, number 4, pages 935-950.

balance with five separate weights not all are original related to this balance

there is no recess for the weight of 4 ounces

rear of the balance

PARKINS & GOTTO	equilibrium	24 & 25 OXFORD ST.
letter plate	brass impacting surface	plate for the weights
plate for the weights	equilibrium	letter plate
solidly made	felt underlay	solidly made
equilibrium	side view	equilibrium
4 oz top	bottom 4 oz	detail bottom 4 oz
2 oz top	bottom 2 oz	detail bottom 2 oz
1 oz top	bottom 1 oz	detail bottom 1 oz
¼ oz top	bottom ¼ oz	detail bottom ¼ oz
¼ oz top	bottom ¼ oz	detail bottom ¼ oz