The Great Gross is a fascinating old-world unit of measure that might surprise many with its sheer scale. Representing 12 Gross (or 144 dozens), a Great Gross equals a whopping 1,728 individual items! Used historically in wholesale trade, especially during the medieval and early modern periods in Europe, this unit provided efficiency in large-scale commerce, allowing for easy calculation and transaction in bulk goods like candles, eggs, or textiles.
While not commonly used in modern trade, the Great Gross underscores historical trade practices and quantification in a world before digital analytics. Imagine being a merchant in a bustling market, selling your goods in Great Grosses—an image that conjures the vibrant rhythms of bygone eras and highlights the evolution of our measurement systems over time.
The “Long Hundred,” also known as a “Great Hundred,” might perplex many today as it stands at 120, instead of the standard 100. Rooted in historical and linguistic evolution, this ancient counting system was prevalent in Northern Europe, notably England and Germany, during the Middle Ages. This unconventional unit was used in various contexts, especially in calculations involving large quantities, such as trade goods or livestock. The Long Hundred illuminates how numbers were historically adapted to meet specific community needs and showcases the fluidity of numerical systems. As societies developed standardized counting methods, such unique units gradually fell out of use, yet they remind us of the rich tapestry of historical numeral lore.
| Great Gross | Long Hundred |
|---|---|
0
gr-gr
|
0
long-hundred
|
0.5
gr-gr
|
7.2
long-hundred
|
1
gr-gr
|
14.4
long-hundred
|
1.5
gr-gr
|
21.6
long-hundred
|
2
gr-gr
|
28.8
long-hundred
|
2.5
gr-gr
|
36
long-hundred
|
3
gr-gr
|
43.2
long-hundred
|
3.5
gr-gr
|
50.4
long-hundred
|
4
gr-gr
|
57.6
long-hundred
|
4.5
gr-gr
|
64.8
long-hundred
|
5
gr-gr
|
72
long-hundred
|
5.5
gr-gr
|
79.2
long-hundred
|
6
gr-gr
|
86.4
long-hundred
|
6.5
gr-gr
|
93.6
long-hundred
|
7
gr-gr
|
100.8
long-hundred
|
7.5
gr-gr
|
108
long-hundred
|
8
gr-gr
|
115.2
long-hundred
|
8.5
gr-gr
|
122.4
long-hundred
|
9
gr-gr
|
129.6
long-hundred
|
9.5
gr-gr
|
136.8
long-hundred
|
10
gr-gr
|
144
long-hundred
|
10.5
gr-gr
|
151.2
long-hundred
|
11
gr-gr
|
158.4
long-hundred
|
11.5
gr-gr
|
165.6
long-hundred
|
12
gr-gr
|
172.8
long-hundred
|
12.5
gr-gr
|
180
long-hundred
|
13
gr-gr
|
187.2
long-hundred
|
13.5
gr-gr
|
194.4
long-hundred
|
14
gr-gr
|
201.6
long-hundred
|
14.5
gr-gr
|
208.8
long-hundred
|
15
gr-gr
|
216
long-hundred
|
15.5
gr-gr
|
223.2
long-hundred
|
16
gr-gr
|
230.4
long-hundred
|
16.5
gr-gr
|
237.6
long-hundred
|
17
gr-gr
|
244.8
long-hundred
|
17.5
gr-gr
|
252
long-hundred
|
18
gr-gr
|
259.2
long-hundred
|
18.5
gr-gr
|
266.4
long-hundred
|
19
gr-gr
|
273.6
long-hundred
|
19.5
gr-gr
|
280.8
long-hundred
|
20
gr-gr
|
288
long-hundred
|
20.5
gr-gr
|
295.2
long-hundred
|
21
gr-gr
|
302.4
long-hundred
|
21.5
gr-gr
|
309.6
long-hundred
|
22
gr-gr
|
316.8
long-hundred
|
22.5
gr-gr
|
324
long-hundred
|
23
gr-gr
|
331.2
long-hundred
|
23.5
gr-gr
|
338.4
long-hundred
|
24
gr-gr
|
345.6
long-hundred
|
24.5
gr-gr
|
352.8
long-hundred
|
25
gr-gr
|
360
long-hundred
|
25.5
gr-gr
|
367.2
long-hundred
|
26
gr-gr
|
374.4
long-hundred
|
26.5
gr-gr
|
381.6
long-hundred
|
27
gr-gr
|
388.8
long-hundred
|
27.5
gr-gr
|
396
long-hundred
|
28
gr-gr
|
403.2
long-hundred
|
28.5
gr-gr
|
410.4
long-hundred
|
29
gr-gr
|
417.6
long-hundred
|
29.5
gr-gr
|
424.8
long-hundred
|
30
gr-gr
|
432
long-hundred
|
30.5
gr-gr
|
439.2
long-hundred
|
31
gr-gr
|
446.4
long-hundred
|
31.5
gr-gr
|
453.6
long-hundred
|
32
gr-gr
|
460.8
long-hundred
|
32.5
gr-gr
|
468
long-hundred
|
33
gr-gr
|
475.2
long-hundred
|
33.5
gr-gr
|
482.4
long-hundred
|
34
gr-gr
|
489.6
long-hundred
|
34.5
gr-gr
|
496.8
long-hundred
|
35
gr-gr
|
504
long-hundred
|
35.5
gr-gr
|
511.2
long-hundred
|
36
gr-gr
|
518.4
long-hundred
|
36.5
gr-gr
|
525.6
long-hundred
|
37
gr-gr
|
532.8
long-hundred
|
37.5
gr-gr
|
540
long-hundred
|
38
gr-gr
|
547.2
long-hundred
|
38.5
gr-gr
|
554.4
long-hundred
|
39
gr-gr
|
561.6
long-hundred
|
39.5
gr-gr
|
568.8
long-hundred
|
40
gr-gr
|
576
long-hundred
|
40.5
gr-gr
|
583.2
long-hundred
|
41
gr-gr
|
590.4
long-hundred
|
41.5
gr-gr
|
597.6
long-hundred
|
42
gr-gr
|
604.8
long-hundred
|
42.5
gr-gr
|
612
long-hundred
|
43
gr-gr
|
619.2
long-hundred
|
43.5
gr-gr
|
626.4
long-hundred
|
44
gr-gr
|
633.6
long-hundred
|
44.5
gr-gr
|
640.8
long-hundred
|
45
gr-gr
|
648
long-hundred
|
45.5
gr-gr
|
655.2
long-hundred
|
46
gr-gr
|
662.4
long-hundred
|
46.5
gr-gr
|
669.6
long-hundred
|
47
gr-gr
|
676.8
long-hundred
|
47.5
gr-gr
|
684
long-hundred
|
48
gr-gr
|
691.2
long-hundred
|
48.5
gr-gr
|
698.4
long-hundred
|
49
gr-gr
|
705.6
long-hundred
|
49.5
gr-gr
|
712.8
long-hundred
|
50
gr-gr
|
720
long-hundred
|
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