How Much is that in Real Money?

"The noted economic historian John J. McCusker, the author of Money and Exchange in Europe and America, has compiled what amounts to a vade mecum for use by researchers, teachers, and students in converting prices from any time in the American past as fas back as 1700 to their comparable values in today's dollars. McCusker's clear introduction discusses the theory and practice behind the construction of historical price indexes, notes their uses and limitations, and provides step-by-step instructions for making the conversions from past prices--even those expressed in colonial currency of pounds, shillings, and pence-- to today's values. He even explains how users may keep this reference tool up to date by splicing in the monthly and annual consumer price index figures provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to providing consumer price index tables for the United States from 1700 to the present, McCusker's work also includes comparable table for Great Britain going back to 1600, making a valuable reference work even more useful. The work is rounded out by a lengthy bibliography of sources on historical prices and related subjects, allowing interest readers to pursue the subject further." -- Provided by publisher