The mark was originally a unit of mass for gold and silver common throughout western Europe, and was equal to 8 troy ounces (249 g). Variations throughout the Middle Ages were, however, considerable. Later, the weight called "mark" was generally half-a-pound. Like the German systems, also the French poid du marc weight system consider one "marc" equal half-a-pound or 8 ounces. Like the pound of 12 troy ounces (373 g), the mark was also used as a unit of currency, e.g. in many Shakespearean plays set in medieval England, and in various incarnations in Germany and Finland until the adoption of the euro in 1999. A "mark" could also be an object weighing more than 1,000 pounds.
