MEASURES

Folding Ruler

Measures are the basis of all exchanges and for checking the efficiencies. Measures identify the quantum of work and the productivity in time scale. Measures are based on body sizes or capacities, but these have many racial and regional variations. It is possible to equate out such differences in a personal exchange or barter trade between neighbours. But, the same proves to be very difficult for trade with far-off regions. Intermediary like, brokers, caravan masters and shippers facilitated trade with other regions and also made large profits through Conversion of measures. Some form of common measure system is required to communicate the achievements of human endeavours.

The inconsistencies of the measure conversions are solved partly, when monetary pricing replaced the bartered trading. Monetary valuation provides a common ground for comparison. World wide, the trading blocks had to concur to a common set of Nominal measurements.

All measure systems such as weights, lengths, volumes were once mutually incompatible, as each had a different scale of sub fractioning. The problems multiplied when measures were equated with equally varied units and sub fractions of monetary units. This was sought to be solved during the French Revolution.