Accession Number

1992.001.0005

Creation Date

circa 1700

Description

Possible "Wd" initials etched on the back. A dagger, scale and crown molded on the front. Found with 11 musket balls (1992.001.0006).

Exhibition Label

A lead weight recovered from the 1700 slave ship Henrietta Marie is roughly 3.6 cm in diameter and weighs 102 grams (.225 lb.). This scale weight reflects the mercantile aspects of the slave ship’s mission, as the ship’s crew traded many cargoes that had to be weighed. The weight was certified by multiple agencies: It is stamped with a crowned WM, representing King William III; the Guildhall Dagger for the City of London; and an angel holding scales, the mark of the Plumber’s Guild. A monogram is inscribed on the back, made of the conjoined letters WD. These are the initials of William Deacon, the Henrietta Marie’s original captain and likely one of its owners.