STANDARD, in war, a sort of banner, or flag, borne as a signal for the joining together of the several troops belonging to the same body. The standard is usual ly a piece of silk, a foot and a half square, on which are embroidered the arms, de vice, or cipher of the prince or of the colonel : it is fixed on a lance, eight or nine feet long, and is carried in the cen tre of the first rank of a squadron of horse. The standard is used for any mar tial ensign of horse, but more particularly for that of the general, or the royal stand ard : those borne by the foot are rather called colours.
The royal standard is a flag, in which the imperial ensigns of England, Scot land, and Ireland. are quartered, toge ther with the armorial bearings of Han over. It is never hoisted, unless when the King is on board, then it is displayed at the main-top-gallant-mast head.
&manual), in commerce, the original of a weight, measure or coin, committed to the keeping of a magistrate, or depo sited in some public place, to regulate, adjust, and try the weights used by par ticular persons in traffic. The justness
of weights and measures is of that import ance to the security and good order of trade, that there is no civilized nation but make it a part of their policy, to pre serve the equality thereof by means of standards. The standards of weights and measures in England are appointed, by magna charts, to be kept in the Exche quer, by a special officer, called the clerk or comptroller of the market.
The standard of gold coin is twenty two carats of fine gold, and two carats of alloy, in the pound weight troy : and the French, Spanish, and Flemish gold are nearly of the same fineness. The pound weight is cut into forty-four parts and a half, each current for twenty-one shil lings. The standard of silver is eleven ounces and two penny-weights of silver, and eighteen penny-weights of alloy of copper. Whether gold or silver be above or below standard is found by assaying, and the hydrostatical balance. See the articles ASSAYING and HYDROSTATICS.