# Purchasing power of a penny in 1870?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purchasing-power-of-a-penny-in-1870/284114>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 10, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purchasing-power-of-a-penny-in-1870/284114 "2005-01-10T22:34:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 31

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purchasing-power-of-a-penny-in-1870/284114/31 "2005-01-12T02:43:10Z")

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> [@FriendRob](#):
>
> :smack:
> 
> Just realized that would have been a _British_ penny…

Ok, in 1870 how did the British penny compare with the American cent?

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