Anker

For the Russian unit, see ancre.

1

In Germany and the Netherlands, a unit of capacity, about 38.8 liters (about 10.3 U.S. gallons).

The anker survived the British acquisition of New Amsterdam. In colonial New York it was often mispelled “anchor”.

2

In Denmark, a unit of liquid capacity, with different values for wine and beer, and varying with time.

A decree of 1698 ostensibly changed the capacity of the anker from 40 potter to 39 potter. But observers as far back as Bauer, and as recent as Friss and Glamann, have reported that throughout the 18^th century in practice there were 40 potter in an anker.

The anker of wine
Period	Equivalents	Liters (approx.)
before 1683	40 potter	38.0
1683-1698	¼ amme, 38.75 potter	37.51
after 1698	39 potter	37.8

The anker of beer and ale
Period	Equivalents	Liters (approx.)
before 1683 the old anker	¼ øltønde, 30 potter	28.5
before 1683	¼ øltønde, 35 potter	33.3
after 1683	¼ ny øltønde, 34 potter	32.9

R. W. Bauer.
Haandbog i Mønt-, Maal og Vægtforhold udarbejdet efter de nyeste og bedste Kilder.
Copenhagen: 1882.

3

In Norway, a unit of liquid capacity, = 40 potter = 20 kanner, about 38.60 liters.

4

In England, a unit of liquid capacity for brandy, = 10 wine gallons, about 37.854 liters. Simmonds (1892, page 12) says “a small cask or runlet containing 8 1/3 gallons, which in this country is now obsolete.” This is the same capacity, only stated in imperial gallons.

Crawford's Handbook for the Grocery and Kindred Trades.
Edinburgh, Wm. Crawford & Sons, Ltd. 1922.

Page 150.

Second Report. Page 6.

5

In Scotland, = 20 Scotch pints.

Second Report. Page 6.