...Register of various articles weighed on the Small Scales, from both Krakow and foreign merchants by me, Jan Cyrus, a Krakow patrician set down ab anno 1649 die vero 1 Julii...
The Great and Small Scales were used for weighing goods coming into and leaving Krakow. They were used to aid business deals, in order to secure both the sellers and buyers the use of the same units of measurement. For activities connected with weighing goods the city would charge fees, the information was then included in separate accountancy books of the Great and Small Scales, kept between 1628 and 1771. The first mention of the city scales in Krakow was at the beginning of the 14th century; in the middle of this century there were already: the Great Scales (for weighing lead, copper and iron) and the Small Scales (for weighing lighter commodities, such as wax). At the same time, a separate scales, the so-called Silver Scales, were used for weighing noble metals. All of Krakow scales were situated in the Main Market Square and the Great Scales was located in a separate building between the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) and St Wojciech’s Church and Bracka Street .
1649-1650, Krakow
Manuscript, half-leather binding
State Archive in Krakow, ref. no Rkps 2301