Acts of the Commonwealth: Charter of Measures

Decree of the Guild of Merchants of the Commonwealth of Camellotte and Issurian Nations, Establishing a Standard of Weights and Measures, Henceforth.

— Inscription of the Charter

Currency:

Money is valued at a standard rate throughout the Commonwealth, but different faces can appear on the coins. The economic rules hold fairly well, but in smaller districts there may be some problems with converting unfamiliar coins. The value, however, is the same under severe penalty of the Commonwealth Council. Note that the Torgs have adopted the sytem, but the weight of their coins may be suspect.

• 100 copper pennies (pence)=1 silver pound (Commonwealth), crown (Torg)
• 10 pounds=1 gold royal (Commonwealth), emperor (Torg)

Weight:

The mathematically astute will notice that the weight of one pound = 144 pence, unlike the monetary measurement above. Welcome to the practicalities of trying to standardize.

• Weight of a dwarvish penny= 1 pence
• 12 pence=1 ynch
• 12 ynch=1 pound
• 12 pounds=1 stone
• 150 stone=1 tun
• 1 tun=1800 pounds

Ship capacity runs in tunnage, and one tun of beer takes up about one cubic mitre of space and weighs about 1800 pounds.

Volume:

Most of these measures go back into perpetuity, being derived from the perrin and dwarves breweing measurements and no one on the council saw any reason not to adopt fully; beer to the rescue again.

• ~12 pennyweight=1 ynch-weight of beer=1 ynch (volume)
• 8 ynch=1 mug (or cup for bakers)
• 2 mugs=1 flagon (or pint)
• 2 flagons=1 tankard (or quarter)
• 4 tankards=1 jug
• 9 jugs=1 firkin
• 4 firkins=1 barrel
• 1.5 barrels=1 oxhead
• 4 oxhead=1 tun
• 1 tun=216 jugs

Ship capacity runs in tunnage, and one tun of beer takes up about one cubic mitre of space and weighs about 1800 pounds.

Distance and Length:

Travelling distance in the bulk of the Commonwealth was measured in leagues, until the dwarves and the perrin got involved. Naturally their mitres were somewhat shorter than some of the longer legged folks, and they did a lot more walking than riding, so as a concession, miles were incorporated into the system. Also the dwarvish word for "toe" is ynch, which is also synonymous with one-twelfth (extra digits being a sign of the higher-born amongst giantish races). Luckily for all involved, 12 dwarvish toes are about the same length as 10 human ones so a standard wasn't too much of a compromise (though 12 dwarvish ynches is still the measurement used in dwarvish lands; but good merchants can easily convert between dwarvish and Commonwealth ynches).

• 1 ynch=theoretically the length of some ancient dwarvish king's second toe, adopted standard is 3 lengths of barleycorn, measured on the day of the signing (thank the perrin brewers for that one).
• 10 ynch (12 ynch for the dwarves)=1 foot
• 3 feet=1 mitre (step)
• 3000 feet=1000 mitres (steps)=1 mile (dwarvish)
• 10000 feet=1 league
• 3.333 miles=1 league

Purpose

To establish, in the name of Fair and Free Trade for all, a Standard, upon which all men, perrin, elves, dwarves and others of the Four Races, wishing to do trade within these realms, may rely upon without prejudice and be assured that regardless of kith or kin, all will be treated fairly, as Navit Midas, also called Sardior, intended.

— Item 7; Philisophical Precis

Document Structure

References

This Act supercedes any previous Act or Law given by previous cities, states or gods (Sardior's Codex) and has been accepted as a mitigation of disparate laws, thus creating a fair and free Standard. This Act acknowledges previous laws and is indebted to such as attempts at fairness in governance and numeration. We ordain and command that the weights and measures, throughout our realm, be as our worthy predecessors have established.

— Appendix I

Publication Status

This document shall be plainly visible and available, posted puclically for all to see whether in guildhall, marketplace, or court, and its omission from said spaces will in no way negate its Authority.

— Appendix II

Legal status

This Act shall bind all signatories, present and future, whether nation, city, or guild, and shall supercede any law attempting to regulate commerce originating from the government of said signatories, upon pain of removal from the Commonwealth.

— Appendix III

Read the Document

Acts of the Commonwealth: Charter of Measures

Inscription:

Decree of the Guild of Merchants of the Commonwealth of Camellotte and Issurian Nations, Establishing a Standard of Weights and Measures, Henceforth.

Item:

1. Whereas it is contained in the Great Charter, that one Measure shall be throughout the Commonwealth, which Charter hath not been well kept and holden in this Point in Times past;
2. It is accorded and assented, That all the Measures, that is to say, Pounds and Stones, Flagons and Firkins, throughout the Lands, within the Franchises and without, shall be according to the Merchants' Standard;
3. And every Measure of Barley and Beer shall be striken without Heap, which shall be measured by such Measures as they were wont in Times past.
4. And the Purveyors of the King, of the Queen, the Council and Guild, and all other, shall make their Purveyances by the same Measure striked in the same Manner, and at all Times that shall be needful.
5. And all Sovereigns of All the Signatory Nations and Cities herein, shall assign certain Justices in every district, to inquire, hear, and determine upon the Points aforesaid, and upon the same to do Punishment according to the Trespass, as well at the Party's Suit, as at the Council's
6. So always, that all Manner of Franchises be saved to the Lords and Guilds in all Points without Blemish to be made in any Manner.
7. To establish, in the name of Fair and Free Trade for all, a Standard, upon which all Men, Perrin, Elves, Dwarves and others of the Four Races, wishing to do trade within these realms, may rely upon without prejudice and be assured that regardless of kith or kin, all will be treated fairly, as Navit Midas, also called Sardior, intended.

Of Money and Measures:

And let there be one money through all the Dominions of the Commonwealth; and let no person refuse it; and [one] measure, as is held at Camellotte.

1. And let the weight of One Penny of Copper be counted as One Pence for measure according to the Standard kept here.
2. Let the Value of One Hundred Penneys of Copper be equal to the Coin of Silver, which shall also be weighed the sayme as One Penny.
3. Let the Value of Ten Coins of SIlver be equal to the value of One gold coin, which shall also be weighed the sayme as one Penny.
4. As each realm shall Honour its own Sovereign, the Face of each may be Particular to that realm, however the Name of the coins shall be according to the Standard established this day, which is: a copper penny shall be called one penny, a silver Coin shall be called a Pound, and a gold Coin shall be called a Royal.
5. Any person may at any time question the weight of any coin and Appeal to the Guild or Judge of the region who may test the coin for weight or Enchantment. Know that any abuse or frivolity of this test will cause Punishment according to the Trespass, as determined by the Guild and ultimately the Council.

Of Weights and Capacity and Measures of Length:

We ordain and command that the weights and measures, throughout our realm, be as our worthy predecessors have established. One measure of Wine shall be through our Realm, and one measure of Ale, and one measure of Barley, that is to say, the Standard of Camellotte; and one breadth of dyed Cloth, Russets, and Haberjects, that is to say, two Yards within the lists. (2) And it shall be of Capacity as it is of Weights and Measures.

Weight and Measure

In Recognition of the Fierce and jealously meticulous veracity of dwarvish meansure of Weight and Value, particularly with ores and metals and fruits of the Ground, the Commonwealth defers and adopts the following measures as Standard

1. Let the weight of 1 Dwarvish penny be counted as the unit, called henceforth One pence, and note herein that the Weight is not commensurate with the value in moneys.
2. Let the weight of Twelve pence be called one Ynch;
3. As Ynch is also equal to one twelfth, so let Twelve Ynches be equal to One Pound
4. Let the weight of twelve Pounds be equal to one Stone
5. Let One hundred fifty Stone be counted as One Tun
6. Acknowledging that certain Guilds and Merchants Marine do not count Stone, the Same One Tun will be equal to 1800 pounds.

Of Capacity and Measures:

Insomuch as the worthy Perrin Merchants and brewers have a long tradition of holding Honest weight and Bakers of all lands have followed, let it be establsihed that The Commonwealth is Loath to gainsay any and wishes to incorporate these as the standards of all in the Commonwealth;

1. Inasmuch as Twelve pennies weigh a certain volume in beer, let this be known as the inchweight of Beer. This volume shall be Known as the the Ynch for liquid, and indeed, as established, for barley and all dry grains as well. On this basis:
2. Let Eight ynches be known as One Mug, or One cup, as the bakers would have it
3. Let Two mugs, or cups, be known as one Flagon, or one Pint, again in deferall to the Bakers Guild
4. Let two flagons measure into One Tankard. This shall also be known as One Quarterjug, or One quarter
5. Let Four tankards, also called four quarterjugs be equal to one Full Jug

It is with gratiutude and Admiration that we recognize the Bakers Guild has agreed maganimously that no further differentiation is needed.

1. Let Nine Full jugs be known as One Firkin,
2. And let One barrel built to hold Four firkins (with Gratitude and Thanks Giving to the Coopers Guild)
3. The Oxhead barrel will be permitted to remain but Must Hold Six firkins, no more, no less. Objections from the kretan merchants recorded and overruled.
4. Let one Tun then, hold Six Barrels of Normal size, Four Oxhead barrels, as the Kretan merchants guild would have it,

Of Length:

Again the Commonwwealth expresses its Gratitude to the Shadrakai merchants whose Historic travels amongst the Southern lands hath inspired this Council to Establish this Act. Also it would be Remiss not to express Gratitude and Thanks Giving to the eminently practical Perrin delegation who helped resolve the Conflict that threatened this Council. Be it known that indeed there will be two measures of Ynch recognized as a Standard:

1. The Dwarvish Ynch, as used by the Shadrakai and their brethren under the Mountains, shall remain at its current Length, and
2. The Standard Ynch shall be the length of three lengths of Barleycorn, as practiced by the Perrin.

Let it be known also that in the case of the Dwarvish Ynch, Twelve such Ynches shall make the Foot of Length, and that (2) so shall Ten Standard Ynches - thus the Standard is Recognized and maintained.

1. Let Three feet be Counted as One Mitre, which is very close to the Pace, upon average.
2. As counted by the Perrin and the Shadrakai, One Thousand Mitres shall equal One mile, and
3. As counted by men and Elves and those who ride, Ten thousand Feet shall equal One League.

Appendix I

This Act supercedes any previous Act or Law given by previous cities, states or gods (Sardior's Codex) and has been accepted as a mitigation of disparate laws, thus creating a fair and free Standard. This Act acknowledges previous laws and is indebted to such as attempts at fairness in governance and numeration. We ordain and command that the weights and measures, throughout our realm, be as our worthy predecessors have established.

Appendix II

This document shall be plainly visible and available, posted puclically for all to see whether in guildhall, marketplace, or court, and its omission from said spaces will in no way negate its Authority. Any alteration of the publication of this Act, whether mundane or magical, will draw the full Punishment in Accordance with the Judgement of the Council Authority and Guild.

Appendix III

And whereas not withstanding it is provided by the Great Charter, that there shall be but one Measure and one Weight throughout the Commonwealth, and by the Treaty of Trade between Camellotte and the Issurian Nations and any signatories in Future, that the same Weights and Measures should be used throughout as were then establishedon this day, yet different Weights and Measures, some larger, and some less, are still in use in various Places throughout the lands, and the true Measure of the present Standards is not verily known, which is the Cause of great Confusion and of manifest Frauds : For the Remedy and Prevention of these Evils for the future, and to the End that certain Standards of Weights and Measures should be established throughout the Commonwealth. This Act shall bind all signatories, present and future, whether nation, city, or guild, and shall supercede any law attempting to regulate commerce originating from the government of said signatories, upon pain of removal from the Commonwealth.
Signed this day, The Sixth Day of Lanaea in the Year 5457 Dheosean Age, 4145 as reckoned by the Torgish Lands, by those present, representatives of The Free City of Camellotte, and the Five Nations of the Issurian Commonwealth, etc. etc.,

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Type

Decree, Governmental

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

5457

Ratification Date

5457