Here's one way to measure inflation, and there are reasons to believe it actually under-estimates the damage.
For decades, a $20 bill was legally the same as a one-ounce American $20 gold coin (although the coins were a tiny bit less than a full ounce; the missing portion was the seignorage, which paid for running the mint. You'll see slightly different definitions in various places).
Gold is selling for $2500 per ounce today, per Kitco.com. The dollar has gone from being worth, BY LAW, roughly a twentieth of an ounce of gold to to being worth, basically, a SPECK of gold.
$20 Liberty gold double eagles are one of the world's most recognized gold coins. A workhorse coin of commerce, it was one of the building blocks of the growing U.S. economy and financial markets in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Also known as Coronet Double Eagles because of the coronet, or crown, adorning the head of Liberty on the obverse, $20 Liberty gold coins were used in every aspect of American economic life. Their large gold content (almost a full ounce) made them especially useful in banking transactions and international trade. The classic portrait of Miss Liberty on the coin's obverse and the bold heraldic Eagle on its reverse stand as inspiring symbols of America's emergence as a mature world power during this wild and exciting period in our nation's history.
Here's one way to measure inflation, and there are reasons to believe it actually under-estimates the damage.
For decades, a $20 bill was legally the same as a one-ounce American $20 gold coin (although the coins were a tiny bit less than a full ounce; the missing portion was the seignorage, which paid for running the mint. You'll see slightly different definitions in various places).
Gold is selling for $2500 per ounce today, per Kitco.com. The dollar has gone from being worth, BY LAW, roughly a twentieth of an ounce of gold to to being worth, basically, a SPECK of gold.
Here's more information about American $20 gold coins: https://www.amergold.com/gold/pre-1933-u-s-gold-coins/20-liberty-gold-double-eagle.php (Includes description of "type 1" through "type 3" US gold coins and others, and photo of a 1904 US $20 gold coin. For more images of the various types, see here).