SOENNECKEN
BONN - POPPELSDORF
letter scale

supplier: Soennecken, Bonn-Poppelsdorf, Germany

Soennecken postal scale

On this postal balance or letter scale, the letter plate bears the name Soennecken Bonn. Soennecken is an old German firm, founded in Remscheid in 1875 by Friedrich Soennecken (1848-1919). In 1876 the company moved to Bonn-Poppelsdorf. The company existed there until 1975. The company was big in stationery and also in all kinds of wooden writing desks. Friedrich Soennecken is also known for his circular lettering and supplied special pens for this. Hole punches, ring binders and all kinds of other office supplies were also sold in large quantities by the Soennecken company.
Most likely the letter scale shown here was not made by Soennecken itself, but made for Soennecken by another company. The decorated base plate with floral motifs of flowers and leaves can also be seen elsewhere combined with other balance versions. The balance mechanism used can be found in the Export catalog of Philipp Jakob Maul from about 1910 with number 510 and 511. Special is the

back of the postal scale

horizontal stabilizer strip in one piece, which keeps both plate supports vertical. In Equilibrium 1992 No.4 on p.1628 there are some drawings that clarify this special version, see below. Also Ch. Testut Fils from France supplied this type of letter balance on a wooden base in 1909. It appears to be a model with a single balance arm. In a Soennecken appendix to the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger of 1892 there is a similar model on a wooden base as the F. Soennecken's Briefwage Nr. 186. It appears to be a model with a single balance arm also.
Inquiring at the Förderverein Poppelsdorfer Geschichte, which still has catalogs by Soennecken, yielded the following. This scale with the weights is entirely made of brass and was listed with Waren-Number 187 in the catalogs from October 1896 to July 1915. The indicated weighing range is 250 grams, and the price was 17, - Mark (the currency in the German Empire).
The weights in the photos are probably not the original weights sold with this letter scale, they do not fit well in the intended places. It is also a somewhat strange list for use in Germany: 125 grams, 60 grams, 30 grams, 15 grams, 5 grams, and 2 grams. Presumably some weights are missing. In the German Magazine Mass und Gewicht, No. 7 of September 1988, page 147 shows a balance by Soennecken from Bonn, the balance mechanism is largely the same, except for the letter plate, which is chamfered at the four corners. This is not the case with my scale. The letter balance in the magazine has the following weights: 250, 125, 60, 30, 15, 10 and 5g, stands on a wooden base plate and also appears to be a model 510 or 511 by Philipp Jakob Maul from Hamburg.
Earlier on this website another Soennecken letter scale was shown, see here.
Below some more images of this letter scale by Soennecken from Bonn.

side view

animation: weight loss

side view

note the one-piece horizontal stabilizer strip
which keeps both plate supports vertical

image from the Export catalog of circa 1910
by Philipp Jakob Maul from Hamburg
showing an similar balance mechanism with the same stabilizer strip

F. Soennecken's Briefwage Nr.186 a fragment of the appendix to
the Deutscher Reichsanzeiger from 1892
with a total of 500 grams of weights

at the top is the exposed stabilizer strip [from above]
below as lying in the fixed part of the letter balance [from above]
at the bottom the stabilizer strip keeps the platform supports vertical [from the front]
[source: Equilibrium 1992 No.4, p.1628. part of figure 3]

a similar balancing mechanism was found in Sweden
brevvåg - Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology,
Sweden - CC BY, [see the source: here Tekniska Museet]

the letter scale model was also sold in France by Ch. Testut Fils
image from magazine Mon Bureau of August 1, 1909

so the model with a single balance arm really exists, see
brevvåg - Malmö Museum, Sweden - CC BY-NC-ND
[see the source here Malmö Museet]

the floral image on the base plate can be seen at full after dismantling the balance	the company name and place are in the letter plate	the shiny bottom looks like fire-gilt
flower	flower	flower
125 grams, 60 grams, 30 grams, 15 grams, 5 grams, and 2 grams	six weights stacked	125 grams, 60 grams, 30 grams, 15 grams, 5 grams, and 2 grams
this base plate has feet with round decorations the flower pattern is the same as the Soennecken the balance mechanism is different	this base plate has the same sleek smooth feet as the Soennecken the flower pattern is the same as the Soennecken the balance mechanism is different	this base plate has stepped feet the flower pattern is the same as the Soennecken the balance mechanism is different