Even better, let's barter! Here, take my half dozen beaver pelts. And I'll take, umm let's see... 20 lbs of salt, those two pistols, 10 lbs of beef jerky , that three piece suit, the long rifle, 250 rds of ammo, and 50 ft of the 0 gage steel chain.
6 pelts for all that? Sir id say youre trying to pull a fast one. If these pelts are tanned and fully complete, I'll give you 15 lbs of campfire smoked venison jerky.
"In this table from Canadian Northwest Company archives, we get some idea of beaver value at the trading post. I take it that “made beaver” is the equivalent of the worn beaver described above. This from early 1800s.
Here are the values of many of the NWC trade goods in Made Beaver:
1MB = 3/4 pounds of coloured beads
1MB = 1 1/2 pounds of gun-powder
1MB = 1 brass kettle
1MB = 2 pounds of sugar
1MB = 1 gallon of brandy
1MB = 2 yards of flannel
1MB = 12 dozen buttons
1MB = 1 pair of breeches
1MB = 1 pair of shoes
1MB = 20 flints
1MB = 8 knives
1MB = 2 pair looking glasses
1MB = 2 hatchets
1MB = 20 fish hooks
1MB = 1 blanket
4 MB = 1 pistol
1MB = 2 shirts
11 MB = 1 musket
But how much did this really represent in terms of trade and money—of that day and translated into our day? There is much information on the particulars of the trade, but it is hard to come up with information on just how big it all was in that 200-year period. I found in one place that the “demand” in England alone was for 5 million felted hats each year. And this rough equation from a modern-day interpreter at Fort Vancouver: “Long story short, the $2 value of a beaver pelt of 1837 would be something like $48 today. And the $7.50 that HBC might have received in London works out to about $176 in today’s money.”
Hell I’d even settle for how things were priced in the 80’s and 90’s
1880s?
Even better, let's barter! Here, take my half dozen beaver pelts. And I'll take, umm let's see... 20 lbs of salt, those two pistols, 10 lbs of beef jerky , that three piece suit, the long rifle, 250 rds of ammo, and 50 ft of the 0 gage steel chain.
6 pelts for all that? Sir id say youre trying to pull a fast one. If these pelts are tanned and fully complete, I'll give you 15 lbs of campfire smoked venison jerky.
Beaver Sauce! <---- Beaver data hyperlink!
Here are the values of many of the NWC trade goods in Made Beaver:
But how much did this really represent in terms of trade and money—of that day and translated into our day? There is much information on the particulars of the trade, but it is hard to come up with information on just how big it all was in that 200-year period. I found in one place that the “demand” in England alone was for 5 million felted hats each year. And this rough equation from a modern-day interpreter at Fort Vancouver: “Long story short, the $2 value of a beaver pelt of 1837 would be something like $48 today. And the $7.50 that HBC might have received in London works out to about $176 in today’s money.”
Now, let's get down to 1800's brass beaver tax!🦫
What? No rope? There is always a demand for good rope...
Chain works too. ⛓️
u/#popcornjones