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Archiver > APG > 1999-10 > 0939319289


From: "Chad R. Milliner" <>
Subject: Re: value of a dollar
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 12:01:29 -0600


It is difficult to say, since official inflation statistics did not exist in
1850. One approach would be to look at period newspapers from the locality
of interest (assuminging that any are extant) and look at advertisements to
see what things cost. Then determine what those things would cost today.
The problem with this is that most of the stuff being sold back then is not
stuff that people buy today. A more effective measure would be to look at
what people earned for performing services that are still performed today,
such as barbers. However, even then it would only be a rough guide, since
the value people attach to a barber's labor may have changed at a different
rate than the value they would have attached to the labor of some other
profession, such as a lawyer.

A scholarly book was published on this subject titled "How much is that in
real money?". I am not certain about the title's spelling, since I don't
have it right in front of me. You could go onto the Library of Congress web
site to verify the title and then order it from your local library through
inter-library loan. This book does have inflation tables that the author
calculated from various sources, but they are pretty generic, and thus must
be used with caution. It is believed that inflation occurred in the mid
nineteenth century at very different rates in differet parts of the country.
In California's gold fields in 1850, inflation was VERY steep, but in other,
more settled parts, it could have been very low. In any event, none of this
will be of any help to you soon enough for your museum display.

----- Original Message -----
From: Donna J. Gruber <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 1999 7:03 AM
Subject: value of a dollar


> I have found I need some information which I don't have. Unfortunately, I
> won't be any where to look it up myself before the display I am working on
> for a local event, has to be ready.
>
> Can anyone tell me what today's dollar would have been worth in 1850?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Donna Gruber
>
>
>
>
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