libra

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

Contents

Units of mass

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 and El Salvador

11. Ecuador

Units of capacity

12. Spain

1

In Rome and the Roman Empire, a unit of mass, about 327.45 grams. link to a table showing relationships between Roman units of mass

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 origin of the value of the libra, 20th century, in Chile, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

The table below shows values of the libra in Spain in the mid-19th century.

Province Name of unit Size,1
grams
Alava libra 460.093
Albacete libra 458
Alicante libra 533
Almeria libra 460.093
Ávila libra 460.093
Badajoz libra 460.093
Baleares (Palma) libra 407
Barcelona libra 400
libra medicinal 300
Burgos libra 460.093
Cáceres libra 456
Cádiz libra 460.093
Canarias libra 460.093
Castellón libra 358
Ciudad-Real libra 460.093
Córdoba libra 460.093
Coruña libra 575
Cuenca libra 460.093
Gerona libra 400
Granada libra 460.093
Guadalajara libra 460.093
Guipúzcoa libra 492
Huelva libra 460.093
Huesca libra 351
Jaén libra 460.093
León libra 460.093
Lérida libra 401
Logroño libra 460.093
Lugo libra 573
Madrid libra 460.093
Málaga libra 460.093
Murcia libra 460.093
Navarra libra 372
Orense libra 574
Oviedo libra 460.093
Palencia libra 460.094
Pamplona libra 372
Pontevedra libra 579
Salamanca libra 460.093
Santander libra 460.093
Segóvia libra 460.093
Sevilla libra 460.093
Soria libra 460.093
Tarragona libra de Gerona 400
Teruel libra 367
Toledo libra 460.093
Valencia libra (but see below) 355
Valladolid libra 460.093
Vizcaya (Bilbao) libra 488
Zamora libra 460.093
Zaragoza libra 350

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

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

Dirección General del Instituto Geográfico y Estadístico.
Equivalencias entre las Pesas y Medidas Usadas Antiguamente en las Diversas Provincias de España y las Legales del Sistema Métrico-Decimal.
Publicadas de Real Orden.
Madrid: Imprenta de la Dirección General del Instituto Geográfica y Estadístico, 1886.

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. chart symbol

Technical Factors..., 1972, page 150.

12

In the province of Alicante, Spain, 19th century, a unit of liquid capacity for oil = 600 milliliters.1 In concept, this much oil would weigh 1 libra. In the province of Huesca, two units of liquid capacity, one for oil, about 370 milliliters, and one for spirits, about 360 mL.1

Doursther reports (page 236) that the libra of oil in Spain = 1/25 arroba = 4 panillas = 16 onzas, about 502.6 milliliters.

1. Dirección General del Instituto Geográfico y Estadístico.
Equivalencias entre las Pesas y Medidas Usadas Antiguamente en las Diversas Provincias de España y las Legales del Sistema Métrico-Decimal.
Publicadas de Real Orden.
Madrid: Imprenta de la Dirección General del Instituto Geográfica y Estadístico, 1886.

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