Need Help question about tonnage in ships holds

[Ben Coats]

my GF and i are discussing the ships hold and captured treasure like silver, gold, ivory, timbers, are they measured in tons or lbs?

 

[Hylie Pistof]

I vote for tons.

 

[Valium]

From Polish Wikipedia:
"1 tona angielska = 2240 funtów brytyjskich = 1016,05 kg"
So: 1 (English) ton = 2240 lbs = 1016,05 kg


So in my opinion, it must be in tonnes. In my country 1 ton = 1000 kg, not 1016,05 kg. The math.

 

[Hylie Pistof]

The word ton derives from the old word for wine barrel "tun" which weighed 2240lbs. That is why it does not add up.

 

[Ben Coats]

I'm asking two questions here:
1. The merchantman in the screenshot, i have 8,386 out of 9676 that it can carry how much would the ship weigh unloaded?
its carrying 353 gold @ a weight of 3,177 and 269 silver @ a weight of 2,152= 5,329 tons.
2. (according to Wikipeda)the closest thing i can find to a heavy merchantman ship is the Amsterdam an 18th century (EIC) East India Company ship with a weight: 1,100 tons <-----so how much could it carry in its cargo hold?
FYI i suck @ math, so i dont understand tonnage and all this.

 

[Ben Coats]

here's another question, this Man 'o' War
in this photo it says:
weight: 2,120 tons and down in the cutout for supplies it says (not including weapons/ammo): "77 barrels of beef, 112 pork, 126 beer 3 tons of candles and 4 tons of tobacco." so this ship says it can carry more than it weighs hows that possible?