Guinea Scales, by A. Wilkinson, Ormskirk

This is a self-erecting brass scale of the type known as a Lancashire Gold Balance. The brass beam is rectangular in section and has a hinged 'turn'- an awing-over weight- which counter- poises the beam for the guinea or half-guinea. A small rectangular sliding weight on the load arm of the beam registers on the graduations which show discrepancies in the value of under or overweight coins: up to 12 pence light, or 4 fatherings heavy at the current rate of 2d per grain of gold.

The coin to be weighed was placed on a folding plate suspened by an H-shaped hanger. Both the hanger and the support solumns have steel anti-friction plates at the end of the hardened steel bushed bearings.

The beam is supported by twin brass columns which are attached to the hinge of the box, and automatically rise into the working position when the box is opened. The weight end of the beam rests upon a thin brass frame which is pulled up by a link connecting it to the columns.

The narrow mahogany box has a hinge at one end and a spring button catch at the other end. A paper label of instructions is pasted inside the box. A second label of instruction is inside the lid.

Anthony Wilkinson claimed to be the inventor of this type of balance and he worked at the Kirkby address from about 1776 to 1785, when he moved to Ormskirk.