# What was the cost of a dozen eggs in Panama City, in 1896? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673 "2021-05-08T17:49:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/1 "2021-05-08T17:49:05Z")
Specifically, in the local currency—which I understand would have been the Columbian Peso, at the time—and _not_ adjusted for inflation. Directly inspired by a line in 1977’s _The Island of Doctor Moreau_, and something I’ve been wondering about for awhile. I’ve been able to find a little cost of goods data for the era, but not for the weirdly particular geographic/economic criteria mentioned above. And if there’s _anywhere_ I could find the answer to weirdly particular historical information, I know it’d be here. So…can anyone help? ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/2 "2021-05-08T19:15:46Z")
Offered as an alternative: just look at a similar item in the data you do have, like a loaf of bread or a quart of milk and use that price. If _you_ can’t find the precise price of a dozen eggs in 1896, it’s like no one will either in order to come along to dispute your price. I’m assuming you want to know the price for purposes of authoring fiction, of course. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/3 "2021-05-08T19:58:17Z")
It’s a bit complicated. In 1871 Columbia went on the gold standard setting one Peso to five French francs which was worth 0.290322581 grams of gold per franc so 1.45 grams of gold for the Colombian Peso. That amount is .0466 Troy ounces and a dollar was .05 troy ounces At the same time gold was worth 20 per Troy ounce. So the Colombian peso was worth 0.93 USD. The complication is that they also issued paper pesos, and those got inflated. 100 paper pesos were worth 1 gold peso. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/4 "2021-05-08T23:28:46Z")
Thanks to [Jack London](http://livros01.livrosgratis.com.br/ln000458.pdf), I know that in 1899 a dozen eggs cost 15 cents in San Francisco and $18 a dozen in the Yukon Territory. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/5 "2021-05-10T21:38:58Z")
In 1914, in the Panama Canal Zone, a dozen eggs from cold storage were 35¢. > **[GOVPUB-W79-026036a721139920c1d88e25d5e3d2ca.pdf](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-W79-026036a721139920c1d88e25d5e3d2ca/pdf/GOVPUB-W79-026036a721139920c1d88e25d5e3d2ca.pdf)** > > 55.15 MB ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-cost-of-a-dozen-eggs-in-panama-city-in-1896/941673/6 "2021-12-05T07:50:55Z")
Nitpick: Colombia, not Columbia.