A paired test begins with the same bar, not with two piles of copper. At the assay table, one bar will be weighed against the common standard and then against each guild’s certified measure. The sequence matters because a difference between bars can otherwise be mistaken for a difference between rules.
The assay slips will record the bar’s shape, the stamped weight, the reading, and the person who made it. That detail answers a narrow question: can another assayer repeat the reading under the same conditions? It does not answer whether the buyer understands the mark on a stall ticket.
Guilds want room for certified weights that fit their bars. Buyers want a single number they can compare without learning each guild’s method. The test can show whether the readings travel across systems; the market board must show which system produced the number.
Ola Senn has asked that the worn common weight remain in the record as a reference, even if the city retires it. Removing it from the table would make the old challenge slips harder to compare with the new test.
The assay table will publish the slips before the council recommends a standard. A good result will make the method easier to inspect, not make the policy choice disappear.
