Lot (weight)

The Lot (formerly also written Loth) was a unit of measurement of mass, which was mainly used in German-speaking states of the Holy Roman Empire and in Scandinavia.

However it was mostly set at between 14 g and 18 g. Some examples: On 27 May 1856, an act concerning "a common state weight" system was issued in Prussia for the German Customs Union (Deutscher Zollverein).

This means that our new weight can easily be compared with the French one, which is also used in other countries, e.g. was introduced in the Netherlands and in Lombardy.In comparison tables of old and new units of measurement of the same name in Prussia, the pre-1856 Lot (and also other units of measurement) was often used with the prefix "old" and the new Lot, valid from 27 May 1856, with the prefix "Neu" ("new") or "Zoll" ("customs").

[4][5] Apart from Prussia, this classification of weights also applied in Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Saxony and the Thuringian states.

In Brunswick, Bremen, Hamburg, Hanover, Lübeck, Oldenburg and Schaumburg-Lippe the lot was defined as a tenth of a Zollpfund = 50g.