Butchers' Ready Reckoner, 1895

This Butchers' Handy Ready Reckoner was provided to help calculate the ‘price to pay' for an item in the days before price calculation was carried out by the weighing machine itself.

 

Ready Reckoners had existed since the late 18th century.  Lord Somerville in 1796 had published ‘The farmer's, grazier's, and butcher's ready reckoner: a short table, by which the weight of stock can be ascertained and the value at once discovered'.

 

The Herbert's version was intended to be hung up next to the scales for ease of use.