"Charlemagne Bucket Weights Or Pile, Eighteenth Time"
Very rare Bucket weight, or (Charlemagne's pile), in bronze, 18th century, French manufacture.The body and the 5 largest weights are very well stamped, but I have no information on these hallmarks (maybe you could tell me) The whole is 495 g, because the last weight is missing (the two smaller ones appear later.) The inscription 1 lb, on the cover, seems to be older than that of (500 g) carved below ("CHARLEMAGNE" pile or box of bucket weights These six small weights in the shape of buckets fitting into each other have the name "Pile de Charlemagne" because it is Charlemagne who, they say, tried to standardize the units and created a standard of weight.This pile was a monetary standard of reference, and was used by artisans who worked gold or silver (goldsmiths, jewelers, trimmers, gold beaters) and money changers. We can clearly see its use in the famous painting by the Flemish painter Quentin Metsys (Louvain, 1466-A nvers 1530), The Changer and his wife, dated 1514 and kept at the Louvre Museum The changer is weighing coins using a small scale called a "trebuchet") I remain at your disposal for any information or additional photos
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