Metal Weight Comparisons

Cash4Gold is committed to educating its customers about the precious metals industry. One of the most important facets of doing business in precious metals is to understand how the price of metal is determined and calculated. To understand this, you must first know how precious metals are weighed and the standard units of measurement that are used.

In the United States, we use the avoirdupois system to measure weight in ounces and pounds. The term “avoirdupois” comes from the French term “a voir du poids”, which literally translates into “goods of weight.”

For most everyday items, such as weighing apples at the market, we use the avoirdupois system. In the precious metals industry, we use a different set of ounces and pounds known as the troy system. So, if Cash4Gold pays you for an ounce of gold, the price is based on a troy ounce.

The troy standard of measurement is said to have been adopted from a system used in Troyes, France in the Middle Ages. Back in those days, the system was used to measure gemstones, black powder, and precious metals.

Because both systems share some common terminology, you could reach the conclusion that the two are basically the same. An ounce is an ounce, right? Well, not in the world of measurements. Although Troy grains and avoirdupois grains are equal (they each weigh about 65 milligrams), ounces and pounds differ. A troy ounce is just a little heavier than an avoirdupois ounce (a troy ounce weighs about 1.1 avoirdupois ounces), and a troy pound is lighter (it only contains 12 troy ounces or about 13.2 avoirdupois ounces).

Metal Troy Weights

The following chart illustrates the troy weights and measurements:

Grains Pennyweights Troy ounces
1 grain (grain) 1.00000 0.0400 0.0020
1 pennyweight (dwt) 24.0000 1.0000 0.0500
1 oz Troy (oz t) 480.000 20.00 1.0000
1 pound Troy (lb t) 5760.00 240.00 12.000

So, there are 24 grains in a pennyweight, 20 pennyweights in a troy ounce, and 12 ounces in a troy pound. As mentioned earlier, avoirdupois and troy weights differ. The following chart illustrates those differences in a side by side comparison:

Avoirdupois Troy In grams

1 grain (grain) .0065 .0065
1 pennyweight (dwt) n/a 1.555
1 oz 28.35 31.03
1 pound 453.59 372.36

The troy system goes back to the Middle Ages when coins were made from precious metal, namely sterling silver. The units of measurement in the troy system correspond to those used in coinage, hence the term “pennyweight.”

Henry the II of England was responsible for introducing a system of coinage that was based on the troy system. In those times, the penny was literally one pennyweight of silver. One pound sterling was equal to twenty shillings, with each shilling equal to twelve pennies or pence. One pound of British sterling equaled 240 pennyweights, the same as one troy pound. Today’s British coinage system has been changed somewhat; but for several hundred years, this was the standard for circulating coinage.

Conversion Calculations

Conversion calculations from avoirdupois to troy are very simple and can be done with any basic calculator without special functions.

TROY/AVOIRDUPOIS CONVERSIONS

Converting Avoirdupois Ounces to Troy Ounces:

Avoirdupois ounce x 0.911 = Troy ounces
Converting Troy Ounces to Avoirdupois Ounces
Troy ounces x 1.097 = Avoirdupois Ounces
Converting Avoirdupois Pounds to Troy Pounds:
Avoirdupois pound x 1.1215 = Troy pounds
Converting Troy Pounds to Avoirdupois pounds:
Troy pound x .823 = Avoirdupois pounds

METRIC CONVERSIONS

Converting Grains (Avoirdupois and Troy) to Milligrams

Both Avoirdupois and Troy grains are 65mg each.

Grains x 65 = milligrams
Converting Pennyweights to Milligrams
Pennyweight x 1555 = milligrams
Converting Pennyweights to Grams
Pennyweight x 1.555 = grams
Converting Grams to Pennyweights
Gram X .6006006 = pennyweight
Converting Troy Ounces to Grams:
Troy Ounce X 31.103 = grams
Converting Grams to Troy Ounces:
Grams X .03003 = troy ounces

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