The troy pound takes its name from the French market town of Troyes in France where English merchants traded at least as early as the time of Charlemagne, King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814 (early 9th century). The system of Troy weights was used in England by apothecaries and jewelers in this time and was the system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder.

There are 12 troy ounces per troy pound, rather than the 16 ounces per pound found in the more common avoirdupois system which is the everyday system of weight used in the United States, Britain and Canada. Although troy ounces are still used to weigh gold, silver and gemstones, the troy pound is no longer used for other generalised methods of weight measurement. Robben Island Troy Pound From the 17th to the 20th centuries, Robben Island served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price paid for freedom. Depicting this beautiful landmark with the infamous Table Mountain as a backing, The Robben Island Troy Pound is truly magnificent! Many may not know that the name itself denotes the 12 ounce weight of the gold medallion by referring to it as a “Troy Pound”.

The troy pound takes its name from the French market town of Troyes in France where English merchants traded at least as early as the time of Charlemagne, King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814 (early 9th century). The system of Troy weights was used in England by apothecaries and jewelers in this time and was the system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals, gemstones, and black powder. The face of the Robben Island Troy Pound Gold Medallion features Nelson Mandela’s bust and the reverse is the profile of Table Mountain overlooking an aerial view of Robben Island. It has the words ROBBEN ISLAND and the dates 1964-1982 commemorating Nelson Mandela’s tenure of imprisonment on the island.