In the Song Dynasty, a tael of silver could probably buy a few baked cakes

Maybe 5 or 10.

It's enough to eat for three to five months.

There are many ancient monetary units in China, which are different from dynasty to dynasty, especially before the Qin and Han dynasties. Only three basic units are discussed here:

penny (i.e., a standard copper coin with a square hole); Or**; Or**;

Although the above units are different from dynasty to dynasty, at least there is little difference after the Tang and Song dynasties, so relatively stable and credible data can be obtained.

Copper coins, the exchange ratio between ** and ** is like the current foreign exchange**, which is often changing, not as clear as 1 yuan is equal to 100 cents.

Under normal circumstances, 1 tael ** can be exchanged for about 1000 to 1500 copper coins, and in ancient times, it was usually said that 1 guan money or 1 hanging money was 1000 yuan.

Since the currency made of gold, silver, and copper is valuable in itself, and theoretically the value of the currency should be equal to the ** of the metal, we can use the ** of the current metal to solve the problem of "how much is a tael of silver".

The Kaiyuan Tongbao Tong money of the Tang Dynasty has a diameter of 8 cents each, 10 pieces weigh 1 tael, and Qianwen weighs 6 catties and 4 taels; During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, each copper coin weighed one penny and two cents and five cents, and then increased to one penny and four cents, and each thousand Wen weighed eight catties and twelve taels. Although the weight unit of "liang" was different in ancient times, it was about 40 grams, while "jin" was about 700 grams. The average weight of each coin is 5 grams.

Therefore, according to the inference, it can be roughly converted into the following with the current RMB**:

1 tael** RMB 2000 10 taels**.

1 tael** RMB 200 1000 Wen Qian 1 Guan (hanging) money.

1 Wen Qian RMB 0 2 Yuan.

You can calculate how many baked cakes you can buy for 200 yuan, and you can probably go through the wholesale price.

Many experts and scholars have argued this issue, but this problem is a bit big, because the entire Song Dynasty inherited five dynasties and ten kingdoms.

Under the Qi Yuan Dynasty, divided into the Northern Song Dynasty.

and the Southern Song Dynasty, a total of 18 emperors and 320 years.

And in these 320 years, the monetary value of each period of time cannot be the same, how can the early and last years of the Northern Song Dynasty be the same, according to the argument, ** has fallen to 800 Wen, and there is also a time when it skyrocketed to 3000 Wen.

This assumption is usually used when discussing ancient currencies: 1 tael ** = 10 taels ** = 10 copper coins = 10,000 copper coins. Although the mutual exchange rate of gold, silver and copper has been fluctuating, this assumption is basically reasonable.

**Benchmark: Gold price.

It basically fluctuates around $400 an ounce. One ounce is a gram, and 1 tael in the Song Dynasty is 40 grams today. In this way, one tael ** in the Song Dynasty is equivalent to 565 US dollars, and in today's US dollar to RMB yuan, it is equivalent to 3661 yuan.

Therefore, the Song Dynasty has always been equivalent to about 366 yuan of copper coins.

**Benchmark: Silver prices are essentially fluctuating around $6 an ounce. Similar to the gold price benchmark, one tael of silver is the usual copper coin, which is equivalent to 70 yuan.

Rice price benchmark: In the Song Dynasty, 1 city jin was 640 grams, and 1 stone was combined with Song Jin, so one stone of rice had kilograms. In the early Northern Song Dynasty, the price of rice was about 300-600 wen per stone, in the middle period it was between 600-700 wen, and in the early Southern Song Dynasty, the price of rice was about 2 guan.

So it is more reasonable to extrapolate the period of Huizong at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, about 1 per stone. If calculated according to the current rice ** per kilogram, one stone of rice in the Song Dynasty is 148 yuan, that is, 1 copper coin is 148 yuan.

Someone once calculated from this that it was spread in the Water Margin.

Zhonglin Chong paid 1,000 yuan to buy a knife, and if it is put now, he spent about 250,000 yuan, this figure looks amazing, but in combination with other prices in the Water Margin, it is still relatively normal.

Therefore, in combination with the above situation, during the Song Dynasty, the value of consistent money basically fluctuated between 70 yuan and 366 yuan.

The consistent money of the Song Dynasty was a thousand copper coins. According to the grain price at that time, each stone of rice was about the same, and now according to the price of one stone at that time, there was 148 yuan. In other words, it has always been almost 148 yuan.

Today, you can buy a lot of things, such as dozens of catties of pork, or 10 bags of rice, etc., because the money has always been converted into about 1,000 yuan today.

The money is still this money, but in different periods, there are different purchasing powers, and the consistent money of the Song Dynasty can only buy a lollipop in our life today.

At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, the exchange ratio of silver coins was one or two silver to consistent money.

A thousand square hole money is consistent.

In the early years of Daoguang, one or two ** exchanged money for one hanging, that is, one thousand Wen; By the time of the Opium War in the twentieth year of Daoguang, one or two ** could be exchanged for 16,700 yuan. Since Xianfeng, the price of silver has risen sharply, and one or two ** can be exchanged for as much as 22,300 yuan. ”

It can be known that under normal circumstances, 1 tael ** can be exchanged for about 1000 1500 copper coins, and in ancient times, it was usually said that 1 guan money or 1 hanging money was 1000 yuan.

But it's from the Qing Dynasty.

The currency exchange in the Song Dynasty was also subject to market changes, but it was similar to that of the later period.

Normally, consistent money refers to a thousand copper coins, but the problem is that in the Song Dynasty, it was popular to save Mo, "seventy-seven coins for a hundred", (History of the Song Dynasty, vol. 180 Food and Goods Chronicles). That is, the consistent money is seven hundred and seventy dollars.

As for the conversion of copper coins to silver taels, it varies with different dynasties:

At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, the exchange ratio of silver coins was one or two silver to consistent money.

When he arrived at Huizong, one tael of silver was exchanged for two pieces of money.

Normally, consistent money refers to a thousand copper coins, but the problem is that in the Song Dynasty, it was popular to save Mo, "seventy-seven coins for a hundred", (History of the Song Dynasty, vol. 180 Food and Goods Chronicles). That is, the consistent money is seven hundred and seventy dollars.

As for the conversion of copper coins to silver taels, it varies with different dynasties:

At the beginning of the Northern Song Dynasty, the exchange ratio of silver coins was one or two silver to consistent money.

When he arrived at Huizong, one tael of silver was exchanged for two pieces of money.