letter balance Narcisse Briais
This letter scale made by Narcisse Eugène Briais has a sliding counterweight. The weighing range is 105 grams. There is a stripe of measure per 15 grams. There is a line but no number at the value zero. The unit of measure is marked with the capital letter G on the scale. The brass letter balance stands on a black lacquered wooden base. The base rests on four flat round discs. In the wood of old French letter scales you can often see some woodworm holes. The worms themselves are no longer present. In a catalog of the English firm Perry & Co. the same model letter balance is already available from July 1871. The wooden base is 22.5 by 11 centimeters. The height of the letter tray is 10 centimeters. The previously shown 100 gram balance of Narcisse Briais with the same model is slightly older, considering to the weight limits stated there 7½ and 22½ that were used until 1875 at the most, see here.
Below some more pictures of this Narcisse Briais letter balance.
back of the balance
