Confederate Army Receipt - What Were They Buying?

[Alandros]

Another interesting chart showing the cost of a pair of shoes

[maus]

Originally Posted by nightbird47

Such beautiful writing, with the numbers even slanted the same.

Could the B stand for bolts, as in bolts of fabric?

Agree! Sadly, on an unrelated note, such beautiful cursive will not be readable by the average adult within 30-40 years or so from now. The loss of superb penmanship has been happening a while already.

I thought the term blue jeans for clothing was too early during the US Civil War in 1863. I knew Levi Strauss Company invented jeans for wearing in the US, but I could recall when that was in the 19th century. The inventor's name was Jacob W. Davis. Mr. Davis and Levi Strauss Co. received patent for rivets in jeans in 1873.

Interesting thread and answers here.

[Jean-Francois]

Originally Posted by SimplySagacious

Good point. In 1861 a one dollar gold coin took $1.25 Confederate dollars. By Feb 1863, the date of your invoice, one dollar gold coin took $3.00 Confederate dollars.

For many years I drove a licenced London 'black taxi', and I had a laminated sign printed which I put on the sliding glass partition, This Taxi Takes $ And €.
I would check the tourist rates online prior to starting work, then add 20 or 25 cents, for "inconvenience."
If the tourist rate was e.g. $2.15, and a fare asked to pay in $, I'd convert a £10.00 ride to 10 X $2.40=$24.
If the fare thought that was too much I'd say "Okay, either pay with a credit card, or go to an ATM, and I'll wait with the meter running."
I never changed the $ or € back to £, I put them in a jar and used them when I went to the U.S. or Europe.
One day I picked up an elderly gentleman from Baton Rouge LA., he saw the sign and said that he may pay in dollars, was that okay?
For a joke, I said, "Sure, but I don't take Confederate money."
He said, "If things had gone right at Gettysburg son, you'd be taking them now."

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by SimplySagacious

Before the war, most fabric in the South was imported. It was more economically sound to import than to produce labor-intensive homespun fabrics even though many imports were more than $1 a yard. After the war began, blockades caused a major shortage. But they had cotton so textile mills began springing up to try to meet the demand. It was expensive to build the manufacturing base they didn't have before and to source the materials.

Now I really under this comedy sketch.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6bOpJ5elW8