Is it a Game?? Very Curious Set of Weights.

Hello again,

I'm hoping someone can help to identify what this is. I wasn't sure which category to put it in but went for metals because the weights seem to be metal.
Basically this is a set of 4 square weights covered with stitched leather. Each weight weighs 148-152g. The leather on one side of each weight is impressed with the letters XPLOS and APLOS in a cross. They look like they could possibly be counters for some kind of game? The weights come in a little leather case with the same arrangement of letters on the top. The weights each measure 5cm square by 1cm thick. There is no other marking other than the letters on either the box or weights. They look as though they date to the 1950s/60s.
I would be so grateful if someone can identify what these are. I've had them for ages - they came from my aunt's house, and I've always been puzzled by them.

Thanks, Clare

 

Always glad to see any questions or discussions about games, but you've really stumped us here. Even that enormous (if often predictably inaccurate) wiki, https://boardgamegeek.com/ , doesn't seem to have anything on it, and we can't venture the vaguest guess as to how that game might be played. Assuming it even is a game -- trying not to assume anything here, but it looks like some sort of game and we can't imagine what else it might be... Be patient, we know a couple of guys who might possibly recognize it -- we'll ask...

 

If you are not sure where to post a thread, you can post it in Antique Discussion.

The letters on the two squares on the right are a different colour to the ones on the left. It does look like a game, with two parties perhaps?
Just wondering, did your aunt travel, or live in another country? We could be looking at a game or something else that is specific for a certain country.

 

I found this post from 2014, but no responses:
https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1111395/xplos-aplos

 

Thanks Any Jewelry - I'll post in Antique Discussion for future reference - do you think it's worth me putting this thread in there?
I hadn't noticed the difference in colour on the letters, but now I look closely there is a dark green fill on the letters on two of the weights, a little worn admittedly.
As far as I'm aware, my aunt lived all her life in the UK. She may have travelled abroad briefly for holidays, but I don't have any information on where she may have gone, and I can't imagine her buying these as souvenirs. Her late husband was in the army during WWII, so is likely to have travelled abroad, but again I don't know where.
Well done Barn owl for finding the other query - it's just a pity no one provided any answers!
Thanks again.

 

This is the only link I could find between those two names "Between 1965 and 1973 the Gambian Department of Agriculture, with technical advice from NIAE, actively promoted the use of the NIAE Animal-Drawn Toolbar, manufactured under the name of Aplos, and its derivative the Xplos. These toolcarriers had a steel chassis, pneumatic tyres and a wooden drawbar. The models imported into The Gambia were relatively simple and had fixed axles without adjustments for height or width, although a more expensive adjustable version was available (Willcocks, 1969). As with the Nolle-designed equipment these toolcarriers could be converted for use as carts."
http://www.nzdl.org/gsdlmod?e=d-000...l&cl=CL1.1&d=HASH0123e72679c205467878c413.5.3

 

I'll ask the moderator to move it to Antique Discussion for you. Would you please, @daveydempsey?

 

Thanks, davey.

 

In the present absence of any valid answer to this one (!!??), I have a use for them! Everytime I'm in the framing shop, the man working with my piece of art has little sand filled sacks with which to weight each corner while I try various frames. Prints which have been previously rolled can otherwise cause havoc!

 

I don't really know what they are but using silverthwait's idea as a lead, there do seem to be drafting/map paperweights that are made like these. They also often seem to have advertising etc on them so maybe they are just nice paperweights.


Some modern ones.
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/spinneybeck-leather-paper-weight-493770832

https://www.jaggeredge.com/shop/jaggeredge-original-leather-paperweight

 

If we combine the idea of a map paperweight with Quincy's Animal-Drawn Toolbar information, they could have been a corporate gift from Aplos/Xplos with the purpose of weighting down a map in remote parts of the Gambia. Or anywhere else for that matter. Four weights for four corners.

 

found this under leather map weights

 

Bookbinders use similar weights and are still sold today in different metals. Here is an example for illustration purpose only.
http://www.talasonline.com/Solid-Brass-Weights

 

Wow - this is fantastic!! I like QuincyAK10's trail to the possible corporate gift/advertising idea, and I agree this could link to the map weight idea. They do look very much like the leather book weights found by AJefferson. I'll keep looking to see if I can find anything else to confirm this. Thanks everyone!!

 

That seems like a very good possibility to me.

 

Same here. Weights of some kind. BTW - does a @CatintheAttic have an actual cat? I alas only have one cat Furry Overlord these days.

 

XPLOS is in the dictionary as an abbreviation for Explosive, if that helps. But neither SOLPA or APLOS is.

 

Yes I do have a cat called Daisy - she was also at a loss as to what these were!

 

Cat toys. They're cat toys. So says Genie the Houdinicat.