What Could You Buy with a Nickel in 1899?

Back in 1899, the purchasing power of a nickel was quite significant. It could buy a variety of items, ranging from small treats to essential goods. This article explores what you could buy with a nickel in those days.

Basic Goods and Treats

In 1899, you could buy several items with a nickel, including:

Ice-cream cone with one scoop A popsicle Unbranded penny candy, which included licorice cigars for two cents Edible wax lips Half a gallon of gas (after the U.S. dollar was taken off the Gold standard in 1971, a gallon of gas was 50 cents twice what it was before) Half a small 8oz bottle of Coke

More Expensive Items

While a nickel couldn't buy everything, it could still stretch to cover several smaller expenses. For example, you could:

Buy 5 pieces of penny candy Receive a free half-hour shower at a public bathhouse in Pope Park, complete with a towel and a small bar of soap Get a shoe shine from a young bootblack on the street corner, with a free towel and bar of soap included Enjoy an ice-cream cone, a cup of coffee, or a doughnut Purchase a candy bar or a bottle of Coke for a nickel

Entertainment and Leisure

A nickel couldn't buy an entire movie experience, but it could cover a significant portion of it:

A matinee at the theater was 1 quarter, or 25 cents, meaning a nickel could help plan for a full afternoon at the movies Comic books from the drug store in town could be purchased for 5 cents each, or 10 cents for a new one

Adjusting for Inflation

The official U.S. Government inflation factor from 1900 to 2019 is 30.26 times, but many people believe the real inflation factor is closer to 40 times. This means that a nickel in 1899 would have the equivalent purchasing power of a ten-dollar bill today, adjusted for the increased cost of living over the past century.

For a deeper dive into the changes in prices over time, you might want to explore this Inflation Calculator