Using Euro coins as weights (2004)

For the USA, an unworn 5 cent nickel weighs 5 grams. When I was testing one of those tiny portable scales that are battery operated, I would use 1, 2, and 3 nickels to determine if it was close to being accurate.

Indeed. Calibrating scales with nickels is a well-known trick in certain circles, including, but not limited to, organic chemistry labs. It won't do for analytic weighing, but for sanity-checking a scale before weighing out reagents, it does the trick.

Ah, good! A few years ago, I picked up a "pocket scale" in a legit head shop. I had intended to weigh out doses of Kratom powder I'd picked up there, too. (The Kratom turned out to be nasty stuff, but the scale works fine, even for weighing postal mail.)

I was considering picking up some accurate weights for calibrating the scale properly, but if nickels will work, I could probably figure out how to procure some nickels instead. Right now, I have a roll of quarters and zero nickels in the house. I was using one to open up my electric candles, but it went missing, so I'm using a dime instead.

That's how I've always calibrated my coffee scales.