Mark (unit)

The mark was originally a unit of mass equal to 8 troy ounces (249 g), used to measure gold and silver throughout western Europe. Variations throughout the Middle Ages were, however, considerable.

Later, the weight called "mark" was generally half-a-pound. Like the German systems, the French poid du marc weight system considered one "marc" equal to half-a-pound (8 ounces).

Like the pound of 12 troy ounces (373 g), the mark was also used as a unit of currency, e.g. in many Shakespearean plays set in medieval England, and in various incarnations in Germany and Finland until the adoption of the euro in 1999.

See also