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Message:: [QUOTE="Kimotej, post: 3020269, member: 83864"]Thank You, Jimski! It is true that Öre was an old weight. The word Öre is derived from the Latin word Aureus which means "(made out) of gold" or "gold coin". Aurum is the Latin word for gold, hence the short form Au from the Periodic System we all tried to learn in school chemistry.  The Aureus was a gold coin from the Roman era , which (if I remember right) was divided, or corresponded to the value of, 25 silver Denars. The Aureus might also have been divided differently during different periods. Members collecting Roman coins can surely enlight us and tell us more about this! In Scandinavia the Öre as a weight unit is known to have been used since the time of the Vikings, and was in the beginning a weight unit for gold. This leads us to assume that the Öre weight was very small, since one would have wanted to be very accurate when measuring gold. It was not until later that the Öre was used as a coin. The first Öre coins (in silver) were struck in 1522 and then had the value (or equaled to the weight of) 1 Mark. The Mark was an old Germanic weight unit used primarily for measuring (precious) metals, and is the oldest Swedish weight unit used for this purpose. During the Middle Ages it was almost only goods like spices, butter and some other foods that were measured in Mark weights, and for these goods were usually used Markpund vågvikt or Besmanvikt. Other goods were more seldom weighed during the Viking Age nor the Middle Ages, but they were instead measured or counted each according to their specific circumstances. The actual weight of the Mark again changed from time to time, which makes it more difficult to guess the exact weight of the Öre. The Vikings used a Mark of about 203 grams. During the Middle Ages the Mark weight varied somewhat from 208 to 218 grams. Data from two "accuracy agents" - I do not really know what to call them - that were sent to Sweden by the Pope in 1327-28 shows that the Stockholm Mark corresponded to 207.2 grams (which would give the Öre of that time a weight of 25.9 g) and the Skara Mark instead was equivalent to 213.3 grams (26 2/3 g). The coin weight for the Mark in the 16th century and beginning of the 17th was 210.6 grams, which gives the Öre of that time a weight of ca 26 1/3 grams. From the latter part of the Middle Ages the Mark used for coins and precious metals "Lödig mark" was divided into 8 Uns = 16 Lod = 64 Qvintin = 4424 Ass = 210.6 grams, which replaced the earlier division of 1 Mark = 8 Öre = 24 Örtugar. (As was also used by the Romans as a coin). 1 Lod when used as a coin weight was 13.16 grams. A funny thing is that 2 Lod = 548 Ass = 1 Uns (ounce, oz) equals 26.3 grams of silver but 27.9 grams of gold and for medicine 29.69 grams). The Uns comes from the Roman unit Uncia = 27.3 grams. Today the ounce is 28.35 grams.) After several measuring reforms in the 17th century the Mark finally was defined as 1/2 Skålpund = 212.5 grams. (26.56 grams to 1 Öre) During the 19th century they began to use the term One Skålpund for the Mark, though it actually was only 1/2 Skålpund. It is tempting to assume, though, that the early Öre weight was lighter, so as to be more accurate in the measuring of gold. The oldest European weighing form was the Eyrir = Aureus from the Roman Iron Age (AD 1-400) based on the gold standard mentioned above (gradually lowered to 24.5 grams). Later the Ertog of about 8 grams was taken into use, originally based on a silver standard. This probably was to replace the Frisian coin Tremissis that had a weight of some 1.3 grams and consisted of 30% gold. The Tremissis was used until AD 680. 2 Örtugs (Ertog) = 1 öre (see my prevoius article) which would suggest 1 öre = circa 16 grams. The Penning was about the same as the Anglo-Sachsian coin by the same name (Penny). In Northumbria during the first half of the 9th century was earlier used a copper coin called Styccas. The Lodbrog son Halvdan intruduced in 871-872 the first Pennings struck in the Frisian trade city Quentowic. A later coin (CNVT REX) from York and from from the beginning of the 10th century (from the Cuerdale-treasure) is considered to be struck at Quentowic. A Penning corresponds to a Frankian Denier as well as to an Arabian Half Dirhem.During the end of the 9th century the standard system Mörk evolved, possibly in Scandinavia, and this unit spread to England and later into Germany. 1 mörk = 8 aurar (eyrir, öre) = 24 ertogs = 240 penningar. Some have suggested the Frisian Sceattas as a corresponding candidate to the Öre weight. After AD 700 the trade grew, and the Frisians got into their hands from an unknown source huge amounts of silver, wherefrom they in the period 720-750 minted millions of own coins (sceattas), struck in several places along the Frisian coast. These were spread to all trading places. Sceatta is from the period 695-750 and is a small silver coin of 11 mm and weighs 1.2 g. The Danish Coin Reform of 670 established a certain coin heft (I hope it is the right word) - in old Nordic language silfrmetinn = heft for silver value, establisher of value. This weighs 16.5 grams, has a diameter of 25 mm and is made of bronze. Silver coins used in all landscapes of Denmark from 670-755 weigh 1-1.2 grams. Silver coins struck at York during Anlaf Guthfrithsson (939-941) weigh 1.26 grams. (A similar heft made out of lead with a coin with a grinning face of Ethelred I of Wessex (865-871) can be seen in the British Museum, Room 68). These hefts are known also from the market places of Scandinavia and Dublin. My guess is that the goal weight should be 12 silver coins, that would give an exchange rate of 1/2 gold skilling, 1/2 unze (Ynce) silver and 1/2 öre. As the silver coins weigh 1.2-1.26 gram the heft should be 12 X (1.2-1.26) gram or 14.4-15.1 gram. As the heft actually weighs 16.5 gram, corresponding to 13 silver coins, the heft counts 1 coin more than it should. This could be called fraud, but rather shows the 8% profit / mark up that the exchanger, called ”metandi”, has taken for his trade and for the use of his tool at the Burnham Market, where it was found many centuries later. That may be why the picture on the heft is smiling all the way to the bank! In my opinion the "Örtug" (Gothic ”ertaug”, old Swedish ”ørtugh”, old Danish ”ørtug, ortug”) is the oldest weight unit we have in Scandinavia, and possibly is from the Bronze Age. In Sweden the first Örtug coins were struck by King Albrekt in circa 1370. They weigh about 1.30 grams and have a fineness of 800/1000 silver. As 1 öre apparently sometimes = 2 örtugs, and sometimes = 3 örtugs, it is difficult to establish the exact Öre weight. Perhaps someone else here knows more or is able to help?[/QUOTE]

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