Henry Troemner 1800s Marble-Top Apothecary Balance Scale

Antique Henry Troemner of Philadelphia Apothecary Balance Scale, wooden cabinet construction, iron mechanism, and two nickel-plated brass trays. Made in the 19th century, this is a very early version of the No. 17 (this one is not marked “No. 17” as are the later ones). Engraved into the center of each pan: “H. Troemner, Philadelphia”

The wooden cabinet front/sides are “slotted” into the corner pieces, no glue or nails hold those pieces together, rather, two pins in the marble top secure the cabinet. Great old patina — a pharmacy balance that has seen a lot of use.

SPECS: Case with marble top measures 18.5 by 7.7 by 5.2 inches tall, with the pans in place the overall height is about 7.5 inches, it weighs 15 lbs 7 oz. The mechanism operates smoothly and the balance works. I calibrated it using a short length of copper wire, inside the case on the left spindle and visible in one of the photos. An extra length of copper wire is included should you ever need to re-calibrate, so that the indicator on the front is exactly in balance/alignment (note which tray and support are Left/Right, since after removal they need to go back Left/Right (due to their very slightly different weights) — the balance is very sensitive, a toothpick’s difference in weight can be noticed in the indicator position!

To insure that the mechanism isn’t rattling and taking a beating while in transit, several pieces of crumpled paper have been placed INSIDE of the cabinet to stabilize and cushion the mechanism. No tools are required to remove this packing material, simply carefully remove the pans and iron pronged holders, lift off the marble top, carefully remove the crumpled paper and reassemble.

A great decorative piece for your home, office, or (of course) the local pharmacy storefront window.