Puncheon (pun)

US customaryHistorical unit (no longer in standard use)

84 US gallons (318 L), two tierces. A cask for rum and wine.

1 puncheon = 317.9745899 liters (approximately).

1 puncheon = 317.9745899 liters

About the puncheon

Richard III is named as having set the wine puncheon at 84 gallons, a size that works out to about 318 litres (317.97 L as used here) in US wine gallons, or 70 imperial gallons. Wikipedia notes the US puncheon is four thirds of a hogshead, so it also equals two tierces.

Unlike the neat wine figure, the puncheon was a loose term in practice. British usage for beer, wine and spirits placed it anywhere between 70 and 120 imperial gallons, roughly 318 to 546 litres, so a puncheon of rum could be markedly larger than one of wine. Any stated size therefore depends on the trade and the period.

Within the English wine ladder it falls between the 63 gallon hogshead and the 126 gallon butt, a third of a tun. The ratios are exact in US gallons: it equals two tierces and four thirds of a hogshead.

Sources: Wikipedia: Puncheon (unit); Wikipedia: Tun (unit)

Puncheon conversion chart

1 puncheon expressed in every other volume unit:

Unit1 puncheon
Liters317.9745899
Milliliters317,974.5899
US Gallons84
US Cups1,344
US Fluid Ounces10,752
Cubic Meters0.3179745899
Cubic Centimeters317,974.5899
US Quarts336
US Pints672
US Tablespoons21,504
US Teaspoons64,512
Metric Cups1,271.898359
Metric Tablespoons21,198.30599
Metric Teaspoons63,594.91797
Imperial Gallons69.94463151
Imperial Pints559.5570521
Imperial Fluid Ounces11,191.14104
Cubic Inches19,404
Cubic Feet11.22916667
Cubic Yards0.4158950617
Oil Barrels2
Cubic Millimeters317,974,589.9
Microliters317,974,589.9
Centiliters31,797.45899
Deciliters3,179.745899
Hectoliters3.179745899
Cubic Kilometers3.179745899×10⁻¹⁰
Australian Tablespoons15,898.72949
US Legal Cups1,324.894124
Imperial Quarts279.778526
Cubic Miles7.628616101×10⁻¹¹
Wine Bottles423.9661198
Magnums211.9830599
Jeroboams105.99153
Methuselahs52.99576498
Nebuchadnezzars21.19830599
US Gills2,688
US Fluid Drams86,016
US Minims5,160,960
Jiggers7,168
Pinches1,032,192
Dashes516,096
Imperial Gills2,238.228208
US Bushels9.023353577
US Pecks36.09341431
US Dry Quarts288.7473145
US Dry Pints577.494629
US Dry Barrels2.75
US Liquid Barrels2.666666667
UK Beer Barrels1.942906431
Firkins7.771625723
Kilderkins3.885812862
Hogsheads (ale)1.295270954
Tierces2
Hogsheads (wine)1.333333333
Butts (pipe)0.6666666667
Tuns0.3333333333
Acre-feet0.0002577861953
Cords0.08772786458
Board Feet134.75
Cyathi6,990.586403
Sextarii582.5488669
Congii97.09147782
Modii36.40930418
Amphorae12.13643473
Omers144.5339045
Hin86.72034269
Baths (biblical)14.45339045
Homers1.445339045
Gō1,762.699621
Shō176.2699621
Tō17.62699621
Koku1.762699621
Charkas2,585.283277
Shtofs258.5283277
Vedros25.85283277

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