Helen Voigt left her estate to Seattle's Children's Hospital, including a collection of scales and weights. The Voigts' collecting took them to England and Austria where they collected rare and unusual examples of scales and weights. The twenty-three scales come in many sizes. The collection includes tiny diamond and coin scales made to be carried in one's pocket and to detect counterfeits; primitive hook scales for weighing meat; metal balance scales to large counter scales; and a large market scale. There are also milk scales, postal scales, market scales, egg scales, coin scales and stately counter scales that bring back memories of buying candy by the pound. There are twenty sets of weights, most from England.
The two rarest pieces in the collection are a Nuremberg Lion Scale from the 18th century and a Nuremberg set of nested weights. These two rare pieces will be auctioned on eBay the week of May 15-22.The other scales and weights plus other items from the estate, including antique copper molds and brass pieces, will be put at auction at noon on June 3 at the Curling Club at 1440 N. 128th, Seattle. For more information on Children's Retail Thrift Stores, please call 206-448-1507.
