How much money was 5 dollars worth in 1860?

Answer 1

The 'simple' answer is: $ 140 - 145. You would today pay around $ 140 for a fixed package of basic commodities that would have cost you $5 back then.

In reality, the answer is much more complex, depending on what you want to compare. For instance, you can also compare the value of $5 to the total dollar value of the US's economic output. In order to possess the same 'percentage' of this national output as you had then with your $5 dollar, that amount would now be worth over $ 18,000. The reason: the enormous growth of the US's economy since 1860.