precision excess letter scale
for 15 grams

maker: Philipp Jakob Maul, Hamburg, Germany bruine lijn

letter scale, maker Ph.J. Maul

This remarkable letter scale was made by Philipp Jakob Maul from Hamburg, Germany. This scale indicates whether or not the old letter weight limit of 15 grams has been exceeded. The nickel-plated measuring scale has a graduation line from 14.5 to 15.5 grams per tenth of a gram. The hinge is a knife edge support. The usual adjustment screw is used to ensure that the scale is properly horizontal. The hanging pointer should be pointed at the tip of the cone. A 15 gram control weight would be more clear. This copy was intended for use in the Netherlands. The letter plateau shows the Dutch postal rates from the period April 1, 1892 - October 1, 1908. This letter scale is depicted in an advertisement by the Amsterdam company Blikman & Sartorius in the newspaper Het Nieuws van den Dag - Kleine Courant of February 21, 1898 and is called the most accurate letter scale.

back of the letter scale

In Germany, the letter weight limit was increased from 15 to 20 grams on April 1, 1900. Other countries did this, if possible, as of October 1, 1907. A 20 gram version was also made by Ph.J. Maul and according to the 1909 catalog also a version with the 15 and 20 gram weight limits, how this was achieved is not yet clear to me.
The plateau is 11 centimeters high, the plateau is 5.2 cm round. Below are some more images of this 15 gram precision letter scale from Ph.J. Maul from Germany.

advertisement in Het Nieuws van den Dag - Kleine Courant
of February 21, 1898 on page 18
by the company Blikman & Sartorius, Amsterdam

animation: put 15 grams on the letter scale
[move the pointer over the photo]

in the catalog of Blikman & Sartorius from the period 1922-1929
the heavier 20 gram version is depicted

side view

animation: 15 or 16 grams on the letter scale
[move the pointer over the photo]

side view

the nickel-plated measuring scale has graduations per tenth of a gram between 14.5 and 15.5 grams	on the top of the counterweight it says DÉPOSÉ	the knife-edged shaft is clamped with the screw head
the pointer pointed at the tip of the cone indicates horizontal position	the Dutch postal rate from the period 1 April 1892 - 1 October 1908	depicted on the Ph.J. Maul poster from circa 1925

description in the Ph.J. Maul price list from circa 1925

the possible versions with the prices of the 20 grams version in the Ph.J. Maul
price list from about 1925

as depicted in the Ph.J. Maul catalog of 1909

as depicted in the Ph.J. Maul catalog of 1912

« collection part 26 «

version: December 29, 2023

precision excess letter scalefor 15 grams

precision excess letter scale
for 15 grams