Attractive Pharmacy Scale, in Good Condition and Working. France, Circa 1900

This delicate piece is a pharmacists scale, a device also known as precision scale. Is in good condition in spite of being quite old; the scale dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. It keeps all its original pieces and accessories except for one of the weighs that is missing. Nevertheless, the rest of the component parts and weighs have survived to our days in good condition and let the user manipulate the scale to get precise weighing. The scale is made of golden brass with some iron parts. The structure stands on a base composed of several wooden planks. The planks are connected to make up a hollow box that stores a drawer. Into the drawer rests the set of weighs, with the pieces nicely organized in a wooden stand with cylindrical holes for each weigh. The drawer is empty and was probably designed to keep tools and accessories needed to prepare the ingredients for the master formulas, and maybe notebooks to write the formulas down. Attached to the top plank where the scale is screwed we can see a black-enameled brass plate with an engraved inscription: APPAREILS DE PESAGE Els DUCHESNE & Cie. Under these words that refer to the original maker or distributor of the scale we can see also the address of the shop: a street of the French city of Lyon. Otherwise, the scale shows off the simple design that characterizes these devices, with the screw that regulates the balance of the measurement trays attached to the base, just in front of the plate. Its simple design and ancient age turn this precision scale into the perfect piece to provide an elegant pharmacy with class and personality, or to become part of a good collection. Measurements: Width: 12.7 in/32.5 cm. Height: 12.5 in/32 cm.