Like a lot of folks, I have spent many hours drooling over coin auctions in the last 5 months. In this time, I obtained the largest and smallest Byzantine pieces in my collection. The smallest pieces were LRB coins turned into 2.2 gram scale weights - Semissis. (https://www.cointalk.com/threads/by...oins-something-new-to-me.362631/#post-4600783). This steelyard weight is the largest. Byzantine / Late Roman Athena Steelyard Weight, bronze shell with lead filling, 5th - 8th century AD. A large and heavy, steelyard weight in the form of Athena / Minerva. She wears a tall crested Corinthian helmet and an Aegis with a Gorgon head and four snakes. The back of her vest has rows of armor plates. Nice facial features show wear but are still easily discernible as are the detailed garments she wears which are evident all around the lower portion of this impressive weight. Rich dark brown and emerald green patina throughout. 12.6 pounds 9-1/2 " tall, including 1" loop at top of weight 4-1/2 " wide at shoulders 3-1/2 " deep from Aegis to back base dimensions are 4.5 X 3.5 ". My Byzantine Empress steelyard weight was lonely, so I bought her a companion. I was surprised to read that the Athens weights are considered related to the empress weights. Minerva was the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena. Most of their attributes (Powers, clothing, ets.) are the same. Minerva weights are thought to be from the Western Roman Empire and are dated earlier, 2nd – 3rd century AD. Athena weights are related to Byzantine empress weights. Athena's Aegis with the Gorgon head in the middle from the west pediment of the archaic temple of Apollo at Eretria. Parian Marble, circa 520-500 BCE. https://ancient-greece.org/images/museums/eretria-mus/pages/eretria-021.html
The Romans used different scales to weigh coins and larger items. The pics below show two types: an equal arm balance - the scale on the left could weigh smaller items. It is shown weighing 1.5 asses (490 grams). Note the balance could not hold 1000 grams without bending a small part. a steelyard (unequal arm) balance - shown weighing a week's pay for a Roman soldier in 400 BC = 21 asses = 6900 grams = 15 lbs. The ratio of arm lengths gives either a 6 to 1 or 16 to 1 ratio. If the arm could hold the weight (I doubt it could), the max scale weight for a 12.6 lb. weight is over 200 lb. I have seen wall pictures of large scales weighing bread, meat and other items.
