Royal Establishment of Weights, Measures, and Currencies for the Kingdom of Sudland
On this day, Yat Masakot (first day of seventh month of the Derkomai year), of the year 5747 in the Common Reckoning, King Haakan Larssen establishes the laws for Weights, Measurements, and Currencies for the kingdom of Sudland, superseding all other Weights, Measurements, and Currencies in use anywhere in the realms of the kingdom.
Document Structure
Clauses
Clause 1: The standard of measure upon which all other lengths and weights is based is the Kinmet.
Clause 2: No copies of the Kinmet may be made except by licensed smiths. Application for license must be made to the Secretary of the Treasury at Daskar.
Clause 3: Every licensed haganmet (steel copy of the Kinmet) must be exactly the same length, width, thickness, and weight as the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinmet or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies. On the top face, the haganmet must be marked with permanent engraving to divide its length into 100 divisions. On the bottom face, the haganmet must be marked with permanent engraving to divide its length into 36 divisions. The 100 divisions on the top face must be exactly equal in length and must exactly match those of the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinmet or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies. The 36 divisions on the bottom face must be exactly equal in length and must exactly match those of the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinmet or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies.
Clause 4: Every licensed saimet (bronze copy of the Kinmet) must be exactly the same length, width, and thickness as the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinment or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies. Licensed and numbered saimet may only be used to verify length, never to verify weight. On the top face, the saimet must be marked with permanent engraving to divide its length into 100 divisions. On the bottom face, the saimet must be marked with permanent engraving to divide its length into 36 divisions. The 100 divisions on the top face must be exactly equal in length and must exactly match those of the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinmet or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies. The 36 divisions on the bottom face must be exactly equal in length and must exactly match those of the original Kinmet, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinmet or to licensed and numbered haganmet copies.
Clause 5: To establish the basis for weights to be used throughout Sudland, the weight yat hundul (1/100th) of the Kinmet shall be used. One hundred Kinhundul shall be constructed from steel and plated with gold. Each of the 100 Kinhundul shall weigh exactly the same, and each shall weigh exactly yat hundul (1/100th) of the Kinmet. Taken all together, the 100 Kinhundul shall weight exactly the same as the Kinmet. In addition, ten Kintundul shall be constructed of steel and plated with gold in the same manner, each weighing exactly the same as 10 Kinhundul and exactly yat tundul (1/10th) of the Kinmet.
Clause 6: Each of the original Kinhundul shall be engraved with the mark of the Royal Forge and Smith and its unique number, 1 through 100. Each of the original Kintundul shall be engraved with the mark of the Royal Forge and Smith and its unqiue number, 1 through 10.
Clause 7: No copies of the Kinhundul or Kintundul may be made except by licensed smiths. Application for license must be made to the Secretary of the Treasury at Daskar.
Clause 8: Every licensed haganhundul (steel copy of the Kinhundul) must be exactly the same weight as the original Kinhundul, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinhundul or to licensed and numbered haganhundul copies. Every licensed saihundul (bronze copy of the Kinhundul) must be exactly the same weight as the original Kinhundul, established by exacting comparison to the original Kinhundul or to licensed and numbered haganhundul copies.
Clause 9: Every licensed haganmet, saimet, haganhundul, saihundul, hagantundul, and saitundul must be engraved with the mark of the licensed smith that constructed it and a number that identifies from whence it was based: the Kinment, Kinhundul, or Kintundul or licensed hagnmet, saimet, haganhundul, saihundul, hagantundul, or saitundul.
Clause 10: Only licensed smiths may construct licensed and numbered haganmet, saimet, haganhundul, saihundul, hagantundul, and saitundul. Any constructed by unlicensed smiths, or anyone else, are considered forgeries. The penalty for forgery is at minimum ten years at hard labor at Salton.
Clause 11: To establish the basis for currency to be used throughout Sudland, the weight yat kindul (1/1000th) of the Kinmet shall be used. Ten Kindorla shall be constructed from silver and plated with gold. Each of the 10 Kindorla shall weigh exactly the same, and each shall weigh exactly yat kildul (1/1000th) of the Kinmet. Taken all together, the 10 Kindorla shall weigh exactly the same as yat (1) Kinhundul.
Clause 12: The weight in silver of one Kindorla is the basis for the standard currency to be used throughout Sudland. Silver coins weighing exactly the same as one Kindorla stamped with the likeness of the king, Haakan Larssen, and the mark of value, 1D, on the obverse and the flag of Sudland stamped on the reverse shall be produced at the Royal Mint in Daskar and at the Royal Mint in Southport. These coins shall have the name and value one Dorla.
Clause 13: The penalty for counterfeiting currency shall be no less than 20 years at hard labor at Salton or in egregious cases, hanging by the neck until dead, the penalty to be determined by the courts administered by the Secretary of Justice.
The above is decreed and established by Haakan Larssen as king, 5747 Yat Masakot, and entered into law by the Secretary of Justice on the same day. Actions to fulfill this decree to be taken immediately by the Royal Forge and Smith and the Royal Mints.
Type
Decree, Royal
Medium
Paper
Location
Signatories (Characters)
Signatories (Organizations)
Oh wow... This is so mind-numbingly bureacratic I feel like I should hate reading it, but instead I am fascinated! It makes me think of the official kilogram prototypes, kept under bell jars in vaults. Personally, I would have liked to see the Kinmet image on this article--I had a hard time picturing it until I went to the Kinmet article. I'm also curious about the motivation behind this decree. Were there problems with not having a standard set of measures? Was it a royal ego project?
Thanks for your kind comment! The idea behind this is that Sudland is, for the most part, a well-run country, with established laws and a bureaucracy that enforces them - think Great Britain/United Kingdom in the late middle ages. There was royalty, but the royalty was supported by a bureaucracy, court system, etc. I didn't base this article on any of the references, but this wikipedia article has some examples of somewhat similar laws established by English kings: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weights_and_Measures_Acts_(UK)