What could be bought with British pound in colonial times?

Question

Doing research for book, what could be bought in Pennsylvania during colonial times with the British pound? Would appreciate some examples: I know the British currency scale during colonial times, but do not know how much items cost. What could you buy with a schilling? How much did a beer cost, or a night at a inn, etc.?

Answer 1

I think even then it varied greatly. You'd find more stability in Britain where supplies were often adequate and goods could reliably make it to market. The Colonies were another story, and in the early days items that had to be imported were not only quite costly but also subject to wide variations with supply and demand.

Perhaps examine some source documents from the time period and see what is mentioned. You may even find a shipping manifest or invoice here and there, otherwise it would be hard to say.