TROY-WEIGHT. The origin of the term " troy" is unknown; some consider it to be a corruption of le roy, as the troy pound was, till recently, the standard pound (pondus regis); some derive it from Troy novant, the monkish name for London; while the majority of philologists and lexicographers profess to see the origin of the name in the town of Troyes, in France, an important center of commerce during the middle ages, which hence may, like the towns of Cohigne, Toulouse, and others, have bad its own special system of weights; though why the term should have migrated to Britain, and been exclusively employed there for so long, is not at all evident. A troy pound (of what value is unknown) is first mentioned in Britain in 1414, long before which period the standard pound of 12 oz., as well as another pound (the tower pound) of 12 oz., was in use. The term " troy" was first applied to the standard pound in 1495, but at the same
time no change seems to have been made in its value, and it continued, as before, to be exclusively employed by the dealers in the precious metals, gems, and drugs. See Pours. The troy pound contains 12 oz., each ounce 20 penny-weights, and each penny weight 24 grains; thus the pound contains 5,760 grains and is to the avoird. pound as 144 to 175; while the troy ounce is to the avoird. ounce as 192 to 175. For medicines other subdivisions of the troy pound were formerly employed; but now medicines are weighed by the avoirdupois standard (q.v.). The old English pound, to which the terra troy was afterward employed, was doubtless the pound of silver; and the tower pound of 12 oz. differed from it only by g of au ounce.