Robert Law and His Auxiliary Assay Balance

Abstract

In 1896, Robert Law, assayer at the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint, published a design for an auxiliary assay balance. This small balance was to be used for preliminary weighing of the gold sample, thus saving wear on the delicate assay balance. Versions of Law balances, including one made by the UK instrument firm of Oertling, were used in all Australian Branches of the Royal Mint, and two surviving instruments have now been found.