A Beaver Pelt could buy one of the following:
| Item | Amount | Item | Amount | |
| Beads (Coloured) | ¾ lb. | Pistols | [1 for 4 pelts] | |
| Kettle, Brass | 1 | Gun Worms | 1 | |
| Lead, Black | 1 lb. | Gloves, Yarn | 1 | |
| Gun Powder | 1 ½ lb. | Goggles | 2 | |
| Shot | 5 lbs. | Handkerchiefs | 1 | |
| Sugar | 2 lbs. | Hats, laced | 1 | |
| Tobacco, Brazil | 2 lbs. | Hatchets | 2 | |
| Ditto Leaf or Roll | 1 ½ lbs. | Hawk Bells | 8 | |
| Thread | 1 lb. | Ice Chisels | 2 | |
| Vermilion | 1 ½ oz | Knives | 8 | |
| Brandy | 1 gallon | Looking Glasses | 2 | |
| Broad Cloth | 2 yard | Mocotagans (Curved Knives) | 2 | |
| Blankets | 1 | Needles | 12 | |
| Flannel | 2 yard | Net-Lines | 2 | |
| Gartering | 2 yard | Powder Horns | 2 | |
| Awl Blades | 12 | Plain Rings | 6 | |
| Buttons | 12 dozen | Stone Rings | 3 | |
| Breeches | 1 pair | Scrapers | 2 | |
| Combs | 2 | Sword Blades | 2 | |
| Egg Boxes | 4 | Spoons | 4 | |
| Feathers, red | 2 | Shirts | 2 | |
| Fish Hooks | 20 | Shoes | 1 pair | |
| Fire Steels | 4 | Stocking | [1 for 1 ¼ pelts] | |
| Files | 1 | Sashes, Worsted | 2 | |
| Flints | 20 | Thimbles | 6 | |
| Guns | [1 for 10 to 12 pelts] | Tobacco Boxes | 2 |
Information found at: http://www2.hbc.com/hbcheritage/history/business/fur/standardtrade1733.asp
4 comments:
Fascinating stuff, thank you. Do you know what's meant by "stone rings," "hawk bells," and "black lead"? Why is black lead so much more expensive than finished shot?
Thanks for the questions Elmo. Stone rings were finger rings with stones in them ie,glass.
Hawk bells were small bells used for attaching to hunting hawks, but they were also popular trade items for other uses, ie decoration.
Black lead: This one I must admit I find a little confusing. This could be a script error & in fact is just plain lead, but as you quite correctly point out, it is more expensive than shot!
Black lead is another name for graphite. It was used in pensils,for polishing metal stove tops in the 19th-20th centuries, & I believe for women's make-up. A black lead comb for instance is believed to be simply a hair comb dipped in black lead/graphite to darken grey hairs.
I wish I could give you more info on the latter in regards to it's use on this list, but like many things in history it will take more research & a true answere may still not be found.
Hope this helps a little!
Regards, Keith.
Very interesting, thank you.
Your'e welcome.
Keith.
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