Legal Definitions - quintal

quintal

Historically, a quintal was a unit of weight equivalent to 100 pounds. While not commonly used in modern legal or commercial contexts, this term appears in older documents, contracts, and historical records, particularly those related to trade, shipping, and commodities.

• Imagine a historical shipping manifest from the 19th century detailing cargo arriving at a port. The document might list a shipment as "30 quintals of dried cod." This would signify that the vessel was carrying 3,000 pounds of cod (30 x 100 pounds), a crucial detail for calculating duties or verifying the cargo's weight.

• Consider an antique agricultural contract from the late 1800s where a farmer agreed to sell a portion of their harvest. The contract might specify, "The seller shall deliver 150 quintals of wheat to the buyer by the autumn harvest." This clause would legally bind the farmer to provide 15,000 pounds of wheat (150 x 100 pounds), establishing a clear quantity for the transaction.

• In old customs ledgers or trade regulations, one might find references to tariffs or duties imposed on goods based on their weight. For instance, a colonial-era record could state, "A duty of two pence per quintal shall be levied on all imported tobacco." This means that for every 100 pounds of tobacco imported, a two-pence tax was due, illustrating how the quintal served as a standard unit for taxation.