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nydus/The Origin of Metallic Currency and Weight StandardsPublic
Page 208 of 630
Table of Contents

CHAPTER VII. The Weight Systems of China and Further Asia.

They employ a coin of silver called a prac-bat or preasat, worth 4 strings or ⅟₂₅ nên6.

The Mexican piastre, which circulates also, is worth on the average about 6 strings of cash.

1 gold ingot = 16 nêns of silver.

The half ingot of gold is also used = 8 ingots of silver.

The unit of commercial or avoirdupois weight is the catty (called by the Cambodians the neal) or pound.

1 neal (catty) (600 grammes)=16 tomlongs or taels (ounces).
1 tomlong (37·5 grammes)=10 chi (of 3·75 grammes).
1 chi=10 hun .

The preceding weights are plainly borrowed from the Chinese, whilst the following are regarded as native in origin.

1 pey=0·292 grammes.
4 pey=1 fuong (1·174 grammes).
2 fuong=1 slong (2·344 grammes).
4 slong=1 bat (9·375 grammes).
4 bat=1 tomlong (37·5 grammes).

For heavy merchandise they employ the hap or picul.

There are three varieties of picul: (1) that of the weight of 40 strings of cash (= 100 catties), (2) that of 42 strings, (3) that of 45 strings.

It will be noticed that the first-mentioned is simply the standard of the Chinese picul of 133⅓ lbs. English, whilst the others are native.

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