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Message:: [QUOTE="GDJMSP, post: 414688, member: 112"]Your comment is one that many people would make. Of course it is based on the assumption that because it was what seems like a long time ago that the people at the mints must have been somewhat backwards or lacking in technology - nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, it is in the modern age, say from the early 1800's on, that mints have become lax and let tolerances for coinage be increased. To a large degree that is because the number of coins they had to produce greatly increased and with mass production larger tolerances are needed. Even as far back as the 11th century and maybe before then, mints and their employees have had the ability to weigh coins to the grain and to refine precious metals to purity levels we use even today. So what you would find if you took the time to look is that the further back you go the tighter the tolerances for coinage become. For example, if you were to weigh Venetian gold ducats from the 1200's you would find them to be much closer in weight to each other than this coin from 1875. And even closer if compared to the coins of today.[/QUOTE]