marc or mark

Generally one of various European units of mass, all equal to 8 of some sort of ounce.

1

In France, 12th century¹ – late 18th century, a unit of mass, in Paris about 244.753 grams.

Location	marc (grams)
La Rochelle	244.75
Limoges	240.93
Tours	237.87
Troyes	260.05
Montpellier	239.12

In the Système Usuel, the marc was 250 grams.

1.
F. Bailly.
Notice sur les anciennes mesures de Bourgogne.
Société d'histoire, d'archéologie et de littérature de l'arrondisment de Beaune. (1905)

Page 292.

2

In German-speaking Europe, a unit of mass used for gold and silver, about 233.85550 grams.

3

Sweden, 0.4645 pounds av.

4

In Austria, the Wiener Mark, a unit of mass used for silver. Article 4 of the law¹ establishing the metric system in Austria specified that the Wiener Mark was equivalent to 0.280668 gram.

1. Gesetz of 23 July 1871, R.G.B 1872, No. 16. The law is reproduced in
Georg Thaa.
Das Mass- und Gewichtwesen und der Richdienst in Österreich.
Volume 13 of Taschenausgabe de österreichischen Gesetze.
Vienna: Munz'sche k. u. k. Hof- Verlags- und Universitats-Buchhandlung, 1900.

5

In England, the mark, 15th century, a unit of count for certain types of metal goods, such as scissors, = 24.

...1 dozen buckles, 1 pound saffron, 3 marks ironware, 1 dozen needles...

H. S. Cobb, editor.
The Overseas Trade of London. Exchequer Customs Accounts 1480-1.
London Record Society, 1990.
Entry 180, page 62.

...sheres for sempsters the mark conteyning two dozen...

Thomas Stuart Willan, editor.
A Tudor Book of Rates.
Publications of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Manchester; no. 13.
Manchester (UK): University of Manchester Press, 1962.
Reprinted New York: Kelley, 1967.
Page 53.