GIFTS TO MUSEUM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20596, 21 June 1930, Page 14

GIFTS TO MUSEUM.

HISTORIC MEDALS.

EVOLUTION OF WEIGHING.

The collection of historic, medals housed in the Auckland War Memorial Museum has recently been enriched by several gifts of much interest. One of these is a finely executed medal commemorative of tho notable portrait of Shakespeare, which is in the possession of Mr. W. Sharp Ogden. The medal was engraved by F. Bowker in 1911, and has on the reverse side a profile of the Stratford bust of Shakespeare. It has been presented to the museum by Mrs. M. L. Tweedie, of Remuera, who is a niece of Mr. Ogden.

Other recent additions to tho medal section are a medal struck to commemorate tho capture of Portobello in 1769, given by Mr. G. Forsythe, and an Armistice medal given by Mr. Moss Davis. The museum has for some time possessed ono of the curious old-time sovereign balances which wore used in tho days when "sweating" of coins was practised, and It was often considered necessary to test the weight of a sovereign. Another of these valuable relics has now been presented by Mr. A. J. Dennis, of Avondale.

The whole subject of weighing is ver£ effectively illustrated, and its evolution traced in a sories of 34 historical pictures, copies of which have been presented by Messrs. W. and T. Avery. These show tho different types of weighing machine in vogue at different periods.