After the demise of the Qing Dynasty, there was a certain degree of confusion, and various currencies were circulating. This directly caused the complicated exchange between currencies, which seriously affected the social and economic life. So, how much was a silver coin worth in the early years of the Republic of China? Because the times are different, people's consumption direction is naturally different. For example, in modern society, transportation expenses are an important expense for every family, but in the early Republic of China, a family hardly needed to spend any transportation expenses. So we only use daily necessities as a reference.

From 19 12 to 19 19, the price of rice remained at 6 silver dollars per catty (178 catty), that is, 3.4 cents per catty. A silver dollar can buy nearly 30 Jin of rice. The average pork per catty ranges from 12 cents to 13 cents, and 1 silver dollar can buy 8 kilograms of pork; Cotton per square foot 1 cent, 1 silver dollar can buy 10 foot of cotton; Sugar is 6 cents per catty; Salt per catty 1-2 cents. From the price point of view, a silver dollar at that time was equivalent to 90 to 100 yuan now.

19 18 (in the seventh year of the Republic of China), C.G. Dattmer, a foreign teacher from Tsinghua University, conducted a survey of 95 residents in the first district of the western suburbs of Beijing, including Han nationality 100 and Manchu nationality 95. The survey shows that a family of five in the suburbs of Beijing at that time spent an average of 100 silver dollar a year to maintain basic living. It takes about 180 silver dollars a year to reach a well-off level.

From 19 12 to 19 19, housing prices in Beijing are relatively stable. However, since the 1920s, prices have started to rise. 1924 (13th year of the Republic of China), the average monthly living expenses of a family of five in Beijing were 14 yuan 25 cents, and the average annual living expenses were 17 1 silver dollar. At that time, rickshaw pullers spent an average of 5.73 yuan a month, which was equivalent to 76 cents a year in 68 yuan. His family living allowance is 1 1.62 yuan per month and 135.84 yuan per year. Finally, let's look at the income level at that time. The famous figures in the Republic of China were all high earners: Cai Yuanpei, the president of Peking University, earned 600 silver dollars a month; Hu Shi, a professor of liberal arts in Peking University and head of the Department of Philosophy, earns 300 silver dollars a month. Li Dazhao, director of Peking University Library, with a monthly salary of 120 silver.