The steelyard balance, or steelyard, is one of the earliest weight measurement devices used by man, dating back to the 5th Century B.C. It performs it's duties through the use of two arms of unequal length, and a counterweight which can be moved along the longer arm to balance the weight of the good suspended from the the other end.
This particular steelyard is made from iron and has a brass bowl on one end into which the goods can be placed. Inspector's stamps can be found on the iron handle and suggest the scale was used in a commercial establishment.
