Agent's Record (Prepaid) - Liverpool to New York - 29 May 1880
White Star Line Agent's Record for Prepaid Steerage Passage for One Adult, UK to New York or Boston (Plus Rail to Scranton, PA). GGA Image ID # 12d40cad9a
Summary of Agent's Record
- Date of Purchase / Voyage: 29 May 1880
- Steamship Line: White Star Line
- Steamship: SS Germanic
- Route: Cardiff, Whales, UK to Scranton PA
- Ticket Type: Agent's Record (Prepaid)
- Voyage Class: Steerage
- Name on Contract: John Price
- Etnicity of Passenger(s): British
- Contract Terms: Unknown
- Cost of Ticket: $32.00 / $836.00 in 2021 USD
Agent's Record Details
This is the Agent's Record for a Prepaid passage on a White Star Line Steamship for passage from Cardiff, Whales, UK to Scranton PA via Steerage class in 1880. Note: The typical route for the RMS Germanic in 1880 was Liverpool to New York.
Ticket Number: 40915
White Star Line
Steerage Prepaid
Agents' Record
Date Sold: 29 May 1880
Name of Intending Passenger: John Price; Age: 43
One Adult Zero Child Zero Infant
Amount Received, including Fare from Cardiff to Scranton? $ 32.00
Deduct Agent's Commission $2.30
Net [ To White Star Line ]: 29.70
Purchased by Abraham Price
Address: Hyde Park [NY]
Date Remitted: 4 June 1880
Vertical handwritten note: $29.30 Paid by 1st Nat Check No. 13, June 8, 1880
Passenger Record
- First Name : John
- Last Name : Price
- Nationality : England
- Place of Birth : England
- Date of Arrival : 1 January 1881
- Age at Arrival : 45
- Gender : Male
- Status: Married
- Profession: Laborer
- Ship of Travel : Germanic
- Class of Travel: Steerage
- Passenger ID: 9012214566507
- Frame: 161
- Manifest Line Number : 8
Relative Cost of Passage Ticket in Today's Currency Value
In 2020, the relative values of $32.00 from 1880 ranges from $756.00 to $63,900.00.
A simple Purchasing Power Calculator would say the relative value is $836.00. This answer is obtained by multiplying $32 by the percentage increase in the CPI from 1880 to 2020.
This may not be the best answer.
The best measure of the relative value over time depends on if you are interested in comparing the cost or value of a Commodity, Income or Wealth, or a Project.
If you want to compare the value of a $32.00 Commodity in 1880 there are three choices. In 2020 the relative:
- real price of that commodity is $836.00
- labor value of that commodity is $6,480.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,380.00 (using production worker compensation)
- income value of that commodity is $9,730.00
- economic share of that commodity is $63,900.00
If you want to compare the value of a $32.00 Income or Wealth , in 1880 there are four choices. In 2020 the relative:
- real wage or real wealth value of that income or wealth is $836.00
- relative labor earnings of that commodity are $6,480.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,380.00 (using production worker compensation)
- relative income value of that income or wealth is $9,730.00
- relative output value of that income or wealth is $63,900.00
If you want to compare the value of a $32.00 Project in 1880 there are three choices. In 2020 the relative:
- real cost of that project is $756.00
- labor cost of that project is $6,480.00 (using the unskilled wage) or $9,380.00 (using production worker compensation)
- relative cost of that project is $9,730.00
- economy cost of that project is $63,900.00
Source: www.measuringworth.com Samuel H. Williamson, "Seven Ways to Compute the Relative Value of a U.S. Dollar Amount, 1790 to present," MeasuringWorth, 2022.
