The tola, unit of mass
The tola weighs exactly 11.6638038 grams, that is 180 troy grains. It is the unit in which gold and silver are quoted in India, Pakistan and Nepal.
It was the weight of a coin before it was the weight of anything else: the Coinage Act of 1835 set the silver rupee at 180 troy grains, and the coin gave its weight to the unit. India made the metric system compulsory with the Standards of Weights and Measures Act of 1956, yet the ten-tola bar of 116.638 grams is still one of the standard cast gold bars of the Dubai and South Asian markets.
The tola in other units
| 1 tola | 0.0000116638 t |
| 1 tola | 0.0116638 kg |
| 1 tola | 11.6638 g |
| 1 tola | 11,664 mg |
| 1 tola | 0.0257143 lb |
| 1 tola | 0.411429 oz |
| 1 tola | 0.375 oz t |
| 1 tola | 0.00183673 st |
| 1 tola | 58.319 ct |
| 1 tola | 0.0000128571 ton US |
| 1 tola | 0.0000114796 ton UK |
| 1 tola | 11,663,804 µg |
| 1 tola | 0.0233276 lb metric |
| 1 tola | 3.11035 momme |
| 1 tola | 0.00311035 kan |
Frequently asked questions
How many tolas make a troy ounce?
Two and two thirds, and the ratio is exact: the tola is three eighths of a troy ounce, 180 grains out of the ounce's 480. That convenience is what kept the unit alive among refiners, a ten-tola bar being exactly three and three quarter ounces.
What does the tola divide into?
Into 12 masha, each masha into 8 ratti, so 96 ratti to the tola, which puts the ratti at 0.1215 grams. The ratti was originally the seed of Abrus precatorius, chosen for how little its weight varies. Beware the heavier ratti of the gem trade: Indian dealers commonly count 0.91 carat, that is 0.182 grams.
Why does a gold rate per tola differ from one per ten grams?
Because the tola weighs 11.6638 grams rather than ten: for the same metal, a price per tola sits 16.6 per cent above a price per ten grams. India has quoted per ten grams since metrication, Karachi and Kathmandu quote per tola, and both figures travel the same wires on the same day.