Home › Moneys of the World › Measures and Weights (Modern system introduced)
Measures and Weights (Modern system introduced)
The modern system, introduced in 1820, is the same as that of France, but with the old Dutch nomenclature. The elle or metre of 10 palms = 3938 Imp. inches nearly, and 100 elles = 109.36 Imp. yards; the mijle or kilometre = 1093% Imp. yards. The bunder = 1 hectare. The vierkante roede = 1 are = 100 vierkante elles = 3 Imp. square perches and 29 square yards nearly. The kubicke elle or stere, = 35.317 Imp. cubic feet. The vat, or hectolitre, (liquid measure) of 100 kans or litres = 22.009 Imp. gallons; and the kan is divided into 10 maatjes, or 100 vingerhoeds. The mudde, zak, or hectolitre (dry measure) of 10 schepels, or 200 kops or litres = 23/4 Imp. bushels nearly; and 100 mudden = 34.390 Imp. quarters. The wigtje or gramme of 10 korrels = 15.434 troy grains; the pond or kilogramme of 10 ons, 100 loods, or 1000 wigtjes = 2 lbs. 3 oz., and 417 drams avoirdupois, or 100 pondens = 220.486 lbs. avoirdupois. The apothecaries' new pound of 12 ounces, 96 drachms, 288 scruples, or 5760 grains = 5787 troy grains.
Gold and silver are weighed by the pond, as above; and their fineness is expressed in millièmes as in FRANCE. Gold was valued from the fixed mint price of 1442 flor. 60 cents per pond, with an agio that was usually about 13 per cent.: Silver is valued from the fine weight at a variable price per pond; and it is now the standard of value.
The old measures and weights, still retained in many places, are chiefly as follows:-The Amsterdam foot = 11.15 Imp. inches; the Rhineland foot = 12.36 Imp. inches; the Amsterdam ell = 27.08 Imp. inches; the Brabant or Flemish ell = 27.58 Imp. inches. The Dutch league, 19 to the degree, = 3 Imp. miles, 5 fur. 4 poles. 4.98 Amsterdam morgen of 600 square perches, or 4.75 Rhineland morgen, = 10 Imp. acres. The wine stekan of 8 stoops = 4.27 Imp. galls.; the brandy stekan = 4.13 do.; and the beer stekan = 4.32 do. The Amsterdam ahm of 4 ankers, 8 wine stekans, 64 stoops, 128 mingels, 256 pintes, or 512 mutjes = 34.16 Imp. gallons; the velte contains 3 stoops, the oxhoofd 96, the legger 240, and the vat 6 ahms or 384 stoops; the Rotterdam ahm = 33.32 Imp. gallons. The Amsterdam corn last of 27 mudden, 36 sacks, or 108 schepels = 82.62 Imp. bushels. The troy pound of 2 marks, 16 ounces, 320 engels, or 10240 aas = 7596 troy grains ; I engel = 7½ carats. The commercial pound of 16 ounces = 7625 troy grains; and the centner of 100 lbs. = 108.93 lbs. avoirdupois. A last for freight is estimated at 4000 lbs. equal to 2 British tons nearly.
The Nederlandsche Bank, founded 1814 on the model of the Bank of England, has a capital of 15,000,000 fl. in shares of 1000 fl., and issues notes for sums from 25 fl. to 1000 fl.
The Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij, founded 1824, has a capital of 33,500,000 fl. in shares of 250 fl., 500 fl., and 1000 fl. It aids different departments of trade, especially the colonial; and discharges functions to government in the transport and sale of the produce of Java. INDIA. (BRITISH.) The monetary unit is the rupee, which in accounts is generally divided into 16 annas, each of 12 pice, though in Bombay sometimes divided into 4 quarters, each of 100 reis. Formerly, rupees of different values were in use; but since 1835, when the currencies of the three presidencies were assimilated, the only one minted is now the "Government rupee," containing 180 troy grains of silver, 11-12ths pure (termed 91.66 touch), or 165 grains of pure silver, and worth intrinsically Is. 1014 d., though commonly estimated at 2s. The other silver coins are pieces of 2 rupees, and of 12, 14, and 18 rupee.