Antique Miniature Cast Iron Balance Scale Grocer Apothecary Trade Scale

Antique miniature cast iron balance scale dating from the late 19th to early 20th century. This type of scale was used by merchants, grocers, spice dealers, and apothecaries to weigh small quantities of goods against standardized counterweights. The design is associated with European weighing instruments of the Victorian and early twentieth-century period, particularly examples from Germany and Central Europe. Items were placed in the scoop pan while calibrated weights were placed on the opposite platform until balance was achieved