libra

See also libbra, but most of the units that have been spelled either way are on this page.

Contents

1. Ancient Rome

2. Spain

3. Colombia

4. Dominican Republic and El Salvador

5. Portugal

6. Argentina

7. Patras, Greece

8. Costa Rica

9. Chile

10. Cuba

10. Ecuador

1

In Rome and the Roman Empire, a unit of mass, about 327.45 grams.

2

In Spain, ? – 20th centuries, a unit of mass, varying locally, but the libra most commonly used was the Castillian libra (libra de Castilla), about 460.093 grams, (approximately 1.014 pounds avoirdupois). This is the value of the libra, 20th century, in Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

The table below shows the value of the libra in the mid-19th century in all Spanish provinces in which the Castillian libra was not the usual unit of mass.

Province	Name of unit	Size,¹ grams
Albacete	libra	458
Alicante	libra	533
Baleares (Palma)	libra	407
Barcelona	libra	400
Barcelona	libra medicinal	300
Céceres	libra	456
Castellón	libra	358
Coruña	libra	575
Gerona	libra	400
Guipúzcoa	libra	492
Huesca	libra	351
Lérida	libra	401
Lugo	libra	573
Orense	libra	573
Pamplona	libra	372
Pontevedra	libra	579
Tarragona	libra de Gerona	400
Teruel	libra	367
Valencia	libra (but see below)	355
Vizcaya (Bilbao)	libra	488
Zaragoza	libra	350

Even this oversimplifies the situation. Consider just Valencia. According to Doursther², there were four libra in use in Valencia:

the libra sutil, libra menor, or libreta, according to one determination 355.3 grams and according to another exactly 356 grams. This was the everyday libra of commerce and is the one in the table above. It was subdivided into 12 onzas, like the Roman libra.
the libbra gruesa or libra mayor, of 18 onzas, used for salted fish, calfskin, leather for the soles of shoes, and so on, about 532.5 grams (taking the libra sutil as 355 grams).
a libra for saffron and other spices, of 16 onzas, about 473.3 grams.
a libra of 36 onzas for bread and other foodstuffs, about 1065 grams.

1. Gaceta. Madrid, 28 December 1852. Official figures.

2. Doursther, page 233.

3

In Colombia, 20th century, a unit of mass = 16 onzas = 500 grams (approximately 1.1012 pounds). An example of seeking round values in the course of metrification.

United Nations, 1966.

4

In the Dominican Republic and El Salvador, 20th century , = 1 pound avoirdupois (approximately 453.592 grams). An example of the name of an old unit taking on a value from a new trading system.

United Nations, 1966.

5

In Portugal, ? – 19th century, a unit of mass, approximately 459 grams (approximately 1.012 pounds avoirdupois). Also called an arratel.

From Portugal the unit spread to Brazil, 16 – 19th centuries, and survived to the 20th century¹ in the Cape Verde Islands and Paraguay.

1. United Nations, 1966.

6

In Argentina, a unit of mass, about 459.35 grams (about 1.0127 pounds avoirdupois).

7

In Patras in the Peloponnese, Greece, 19th century, a unit of capacity determined by mass, used for oil and honey, a nineteenth of a barile, about 3.064 kilograms (6.775 pounds avoidupois).

Doursther page 208.

8

In Costa Rica, = 460.0627 grams, divided into 16 onzas. (In apothecary's weight, however, the libra was 345.04704 grams and divided into 12 onzas. Apothecary's weight was already out of use in Costa Rica in the 19th century.) In modern times, = 460 grams.

[Costa Rica. Ministerio de formento.]
Medidas y pesas del sistema métrico, y tablas de equivalencia con las antiguas.
San José de Costa Rica: Imprenta nacional, 1885.

Technical Factors..., 1972, page 137.

9

In Chile, a unit of mass, about 460 grams.

Technical Factors..., 1972, page 132.

10

In Cuba and El Salvador, a unit of mass, = 16 onzas = 460.00 grams.

Technical Factors..., 1972, pages 140, 155.

11

In Ecuador, a unit of mass, = 460.00 grams.

Technical Factors..., 1972, page 150.