Measuring Gold by Weight

There are also two different measuring systems that are used to weigh gold. The most used one is the Troy system, which is as follows:

• 24 grains = 1 pennyweight
• 20 pennyweight = 1 Troy ounce
• 12 Troy ounces = 1 Troy pound

Scales with this type of measuring system are generally found in establishments where gold mining gear is sold. The Troy system is usually used by field miners and when gold is bargained in the open.

A Troy pound is equal to 0,3732 kilograms, while the Standard pound (Avoirdupois) is equal to .4536 kilograms, so if you may have noticed they are not similar; a Standard pound weighs considerably more than a Troy pound. One must also take into account that there are only 12 Troy ounces in a Troy pound, opposite to the 16 ounces a Standard pound has. The result is that the Troy ounce is slightly heavier than the Standard ounce. The other gold-measuring system is in grams. Most scales with triple beam weigh in terms of grams instead of Troy measures. So it is not uncommon to see gold being weighed in gram scales. In this case, the conversion-scale is the following:

Troy – Gram Conversion Table

1 Troy pound  = 373.248 grams

1 Troy ounce  = 31.104 grams..

1 Pennyweight = 1.555 grams

1 Grain        = 65 milligrams