| troy weight (troi) A system of weights and measures in which the grain is the same as in the avoirdupois system, and a pound contains 12 ounces, or 5,760 grains. Troy weight is used primarily by miners and gold dealers. Compare avoirdupois weight. |
traditional system of weight in the British Isles based on the grain, pennyweight (24 grains), ounce (20 pennyweights), and pound (12 ounces). The troy grain, pennyweight, and ounce have been used since the Middle Ages to weigh gold, silver, and other precious metals and stones. The name supposedly derives from the city of Troyes in France, site of one of the major medieval fairs. The troy pound was adopted by the U.S. Mint for the regulation of coinage in 1828.