does anyone know how much gas a silver dollar bought in the 60's? I figure it buys just under 4 toda

seateddime

anyone know ?

UtahCoin

In 1964 you could get a gallon for 25 cents, plus or minus a little (Santa Barbara, CA)

seateddime

so basically the same then?

UtahCoin

In high school (67-70), minimum wage was $1.50, and as I recall gas was about 30 cents.

I remember my first summer out of high school I worked on a U.S. Forest Service Hot Shot crew (wildland fire fighter) and made $4.17 an hour fighting fires. I remember thinking I couldn't SPEND that much money.... Oh how times have changed.

cinman14

In 1964, 3 silver dimes could buy you a gallon of gas (about 27¢/gallon); At the current rate of silver, the metal value of 3 silver dimes would be about $3.93, just enough for a gallon of gas. Today's spot price for silver is $18.20. That would put a gallon of gas at $4.23.

CarsonCityGold

I put a lot of 19.9c a gallon gas in my 2 year old 65 Mustang Convertible 4 speed (NO A/C) while in high school here in Texas. Flipped burgers for $1.10 an hour to pay for it.

halfhunter

When I started driving, in 1970, Esso regular was 28.9 & hitest was 30.9, self service. For about 2 cents more you get it pumped, oil checked and windshield washed. I had a '71 SS Nova & had to burn hitest. Occasionally, I'd run a tank of Amaco "white gas" which was another penny higher. Also the octane of regular gas was 89, not 87 as it is now. Cost about $4.50 to fill-up as I remember. Man I wish I still had that car.

Regards, John

Tvac897

probably 2 gallons that far back.

SeaEagleCoins

Yes...the only thing that has occured is a change in the dollar amount... the amount of silver for the amount of gas (or other commodities) has not changed...

This is the "advantage" of fiat money...

It was also explained to me once, that over time...generally speaking...Whatever amount of gold it takes to buy a barrel of oil will never change...regardless of the "so-called" dollar amount that is applied...

It seems that the paper futures market in gold may have skewed that ratio a bit...but I haven't researched it myself...

ProofArtworkonCircs

<<Also the octane of regular gas was 89, not 87 as it is now.>>
This might be more of a government mandate than an actual change. There were two methods of calculating octane and naturally the gas stations posted the highest one. So the government mandated a THIRD way - average the two methods and post that.

I remember self service in those days as being non-existant. The fire departments would have had a fit. As it is now, all local self service stations have extensive fire control sytems. Every so often some attendant will acidentally turn it on and the station and customers become a snowy landscape.

AUandAG

I was buying gas at the only self service in Reno for 19.7 cents a gallon. So, that is a bit over 5
gallons or about what the Saudi's are paying today.

bob

TwoSides2aCoin

A simpleminded answer :



"oh, about a dollar's worth".

cladking

I saw a gas war where gas was 9.999 cents per gallon. It could have been 1959 though.

Coinosaurus

<< <i>I put a lot of 19.9c a gallon gas in my 2 year old 65 Mustang Convertible 4 speed (NO A/C) while in high school here in Texas. >>



Not surprising - that car required a lot of gas!