Antique Salter Pocket Spring Balance with Kilogram & Vienna Pound Scale – Austria c. 1890, Brass

A rare find: an antique pocket spring balance made for the Austrian market in the 1890s.

What Makes It Special

Besides kilograms, the scale also shows the old "Vienna pound" (marked "VIENNA"). The Vienna pound originally weighed about 561 g and was rounded to 560 g in the 19th century – before the metric system replaced it. The maker is the English firm Salter & Co., founded in the 18th century by Richard Salter in Bilston and still known today for kitchen scales.

Details & Condition

• Maker: Salter & Co., England
• Material: brass front; iron hanger, hook and back
• Length: 17 cm / 6.7 in
• Width: 2.7 cm / 1.1 in
• Depth: 1.5 cm / 0.6 in
• Date: 1890s (antique)
• Condition: fully functional and in very good condition for its age; can be lightly cleaned if desired

Uses

An atmospheric decor piece: hang it in a special spot with a small old flower pot or brass bowl of flowers on the hook – or give it to a collector of old measuring instruments.

Care

Store dry; polish the brass if desired.

At the flea market in Heidenreichstein the old balance hung on a nail above a box of weights – its needle still at zero, as if waiting for the next pound of butter.

Weighed in Vienna pounds — Things with Soul · VintageAustriaShop