11 1/2, 12 1/4 7 maidins ...

[pars]

Dear all:
What is the exact meaning of the words in bold in the following passage? It is from the book The Asian Trade Revolution of the Seventeenth Century, by Niels Steensgaard, p. 46. Of course. that numbers are fractions.

"In mydle September came another carravan which was but 9 somes [loads] and given out that noe more would come of two months soe then was forced again to give 11 1/2, 12 1/4 7 maidins, I2 1/2 and soe bought 4 bales."

Thanks very much.

 

[emsr2d2]

For one awful second, I thought I'd been transported back to my A-Level English class with my mad professor who was teaching us Chaucer (yes, I know that's not 17th century).

Before we go to the effort of sorting this out for you, are you certain you really need to know how to understand such language these days?

 

[PeterCW]

Is there no glossary or footnote to explain the obsolete technical terms used?

I think that the "L" in "l2½" should be read as "£" but can refer to any of a variety of currency units used across Europe, North Africa and Western Asia at the time.

In short he seems to have parted with a quantity of cash and trade goods in return for four bales of something.

 

[pars]

For one awful second, I thought I'd been transported back to my A-Level English class with my mad professor who was teaching us Chaucer (yes, I know that's not 17th century).

Before we go to the effort of sorting this out for you, are you certain you really need to know how to understand such language these days?

Dear emsr2d2:
Yes! of course yes! I need the meaning of this sentence for a research.

 

[pars]

Is there no glossary or footnote to explain the obsolete technical terms used?

No at all!

 

[probus]

It may be a variant spelling of maiden, and if so it probably refers to a coin bearing the head of Queen Elizabeth I.

 

[5jj]

The maidin appears to be an Egyptian unit of currency:

The coines currant of this Countrey are in traffique of Merchan∣dise, partly forreigne, and partly domestique; the forreigne is the Spanish Riall of eight, which they call here the piastre and doller and worth in common 80 and sometimes 90 aspers, which is the dome∣stique coine of this Countrey, and the Maidin which is the com∣mon silver coine of all the grand Seigniors Dominions. Three a. or aspers make a Maidin, and 30 maidins makes a Doller, the gold coines here is the soltany, sheriffe and chequine all of one value little differing, accounted 8 shil. sterling; but rising and falling in aspers according to the plentie and scarcity of gold.

The merchants mappe of commerce wherein, the universall manner and matter of trade, is compendiously handled. The standerd and currant coines of sundry princes, observed. The reall and imaginary coines of accompts and exchanges, expressed. The natura

 

[probus]

Thanks @5jj. I'm currently unable to use the Thank button.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thanks @5jj. I'm currently unable to use the Thank button.

Despite what the error message says, the Thanks button is working fine. If you look at 5jj's post, you will see your Thanks icon clearly shows.