These essays have been written to help better understand the concept of comparing relative worth over time. They include an explanation of the measures created and how they are used as well as presentations of famous prices and other historic financial amounts in the context of these measures.

"Measures of worth" depend on two things: (1) the type of transaction or asset, called the "subject" and (2) the appropriate comparable, called the "indicator." Which measure (that is, which of the alternative results) is best depends on a proper identification of both the subject and the indicator... read more

Slavery in the United States 150 years ago was an institution that had a large impact on the economic, political and social fabric on the country. This paper gives an idea of its economic magnitude in today’s values. Using MeasuringWorth indicators, the value in 2009 of $500 in 1850 (the average price of a slave that year) ranges from $11,000 to $162,000 ... read more

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