Wine gauging in late 16th- and early 17th-century Antwerp (Q1332240)

Renaissance European cities imposed an excise on wine and bear. Wine gaugers were employed to measure the contents of barrels. The article describes the practice of the gaugers within a limited period (1550-1620) and in a single city, Antwerp. The author describes briefly the mathematical background of the gauging technique, referring to an article of \textit{M. Folkerts} [Die Entwicklung und Bedeutung der Visierkunst als Beispiel der praktischen Mathematik der früheren Neuzeit, Humanismus Tech., Jahrb. 18, 1--41 (1974; Zbl 0299.01003)] for further details. The next section deals with the relationship between the gaugers and the excise office. The final section presents calculations to show whether or not the gaugers performed adequately, given the methods at their disposal.