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Dip stick (detail)

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probably made in London

Dip stick (detail)
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This is a detail of an excise officer's folding dip stick made in the mid 18th century, and retailed by John Gilbert of London. The stick is four feet long and made of wood and brass.

The detail shows the maker's stamp, 'GILBERT'.

In brewing and distilling, it was necessary for excise officers to work out the tax due from the volume of barley malted and from amounts of liquor held in casks. Calculation of the total and partial content (or ullage) of casks was aided by specially designed slide rules. Dip sticks such as this one took the diagonal depth when a cask was standing on its end or lying on its side, speeding measurement.

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