Antique Triner Air Mail 4-Lb Postal Scale

Updated August 13, 2026

Triner Air Mail mechanical postal scale manufactured by the Triner Scale & Manufacturing Company of Chicago, Illinois. Established in Chicago in 1903, Triner became a prominent American manufacturer of postal, office, and commercial weighing equipment. The company expanded considerably during the early 20th century, including construction of a major addition to its Chicago factory in 1929. This counter scale was designed for post-office, mailroom, and business use, allowing letters, printed matter, catalogs, newspapers, merchandise, and small parcels to be weighed and matched to the appropriate postage charge. It has a four-pound capacity, graduated balance beam, sliding weight, rectangular weighing platform, and an extensive postal-rate chart covering domestic local and zone rates, foreign first-class mail, books, seeds, catalogs, newspapers, and other mailing classifications. The colorful Triner Air Mail Scale decal depicts a U.S. Mail airplane and reflects the period when aviation was becoming an established part of American postal service. Regularly scheduled U.S. airmail began in 1918, and the Post Office Department later developed transcontinental service and distance-based postal zones during the 1920s. The rates and classifications printed on this example suggest production during the early-to-mid-20th-century development of American airmail and parcel service, although an exact manufacturing date has not been confirmed. The scale retains an appealing aged surface with scattered finish wear, light oxidation, scratches, and signs of prior use. The original illustrated decal and postal-rate chart remain in place, with age-related toning and wear visible to the chart. Operation and weighing accuracy have not been tested. Approx. dimensions are 17" W 7" D 6" H. A distinctive example of American postal and aviation history suitable for collections of scales, postal artifacts, early office equipment, or transportation memorabilia.

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