Am now the proud possessor of a handful of the new silver 'Trafalgar commemoration' coins which weigh exactly, er, one ounce.

I find they are a most useful reminder of how Europe has been blighted by oppressive continental dictators over the centuries, and the role of Britain in defeating them (Spain and the Pope - 1588, Napoleon - 1815, Kaiser Bill - 1918, Hitler - 1945, European Union [defeat still awaited].

They also remind me of Nelson - and in turn Nelson Mandela and all the hundreds of thousands of Afro-Caribbeans who have, over the years, called themselves Nelson out of appreciation for Britain having led the world in the abolition of slavery (now rampant again in North and West Africa).

France was busy going metric when we won the Battle of Trafalgar. Germany had gone metric by the time we beat them in 1918

Tony,

According to the Royal Mint, the Trafalgar £5 silver coin weighs 28.28g and has a fineness of 0.925

One ounce av = 28.35g.
One ounce Troy = 31.10g

Troy ounces are the legal measure for silver and gold (and I think platinum).

If you thought that you were buying 1oz of silver you wer duped!

re (martin): "If you thought that you were buying 1oz of silver you were duped!"

REPLY: Damn! I mean, dram! But - well - what's 0.07 ounces between friends, after all. Mind you, just goes to show you can't trust New Labour, standards are slipping everywhere you look these days

<<<France was busy going metric when we won the Battle of Trafalgar. Germany had gone metric by the time we beat them in 1918>>>

Thanks god for that. If they hadn't been metric the outcome would surely have been different.

If you visit http://www.royalmint.com/royalmint/web/site/annexes/trafalgar.asp you will see adverts for a number of diffeent "Trafalgar" products including teh "one kilo of fine silver" and the "£5 silver proof crown" coin. Nowhere does it suggest that the £5 coin is an ounce of silver (av or troy). The actual amount of silver in the coin is about 26.159g. This is about 0.84 Troy ounces of siver.

That'll mean a lot to most Brits! ;-)

Steve, which paricular part of my explanation confuses you?

1. The fact that there are two different typers of ounces - avoirdupoid (?) ounces which are used for most purposes and troy ounces which are used exclusively for precious metals (both are mentioned in the EU directive!).

2. The fact that silver (and gold) coins are not pure silver or gold, but are alloys of the precious metal and some other metal to make them more durable.

3. Or are you innumerate?

With reference to the origin of this thread I am amazed how Tony manages to politicise a comemorative coin.

If the Royal Mint thought folk were going to read such unpleasantness into it I doubt they would have produced it.

Personally I like coins. I think special coins like this are nice. If they did deliberately make its weight equal to one ounce perhaps as part of the ambience that's fine with me. However, unless they say so I wouldn't rely on it.

A 28.28g silver coin? That doesn't produce a round number in oz. t., dwt., ct., or gr. Sir Isaac Newton must be rolling over in his grave. ;-)

"""That'll mean a lot to most Brits! ;-) """


You speak for most Brits? They have elected you their spokeman? How do you know what the majority understands and does not understand? Just because YOU pretend to think the people of the UK don't understand metric doesn't make it so.

The people who work in the factories producing metric goods for home and export do understand. The people who shop in the metric stores (take your blinders off) and buy metric products understand. The shoppers at Sainsbury and Tesco who do ask for gram amounts at the deli counter understand. The people who listen to metric weather forcasts and buy their petrol in litres understand. Everyone educated in a British school since the 1970s understands.

Thus, expressions in grams IS understandable to most Brits, including yourself.

"""Am now the proud possessor of a handful of the new silver 'Trafalgar commemoration' coins which weigh exactly, er, one ounce."""


Exactly which ounce were you referring to? There are many. Weigh it out on a gram balance and let us all know its true, honest weight.

<<
You speak for most Brits? They have elected you their spokeman?
>>

Not yet, but the moment but he is attempting to become a spokesman - in Harlow to be exact and under the colours of Veritas.

You're talkin about Tony, Martin.

NoBrains was referring to his hero. ie, Me.

P.S. Hands up anyone here who buys thier petrol in litres?
Think about the question before answering.

So that'll be no-one then!