How much was a beaver pelt worth in the 1700s?

The Prices of Parchment and Coat Beaver From 1713 to 1726, before the carotting process had become established, coat beaver generally fetched a higher price than parchment beaver, averaging 6.6 shillings per pelt as compared to 5.5 shillings.

What was the most valuable fur in the fur trade?

Beaver fur
Beaver fur, which was used in Europe to make felt hats, became the most valuable of these furs. The fur trade prospered until the mid-1800’s, when fur-bearing animals became scarce and silk hats became more popular than felt hats made with beaver.

How much is a coyote pelt worth?

Western coyotes soared high at an average price of $98.52, with Eastern pelts at about half the value. Trim-trade skins still bring top dollars. Western bobcats sold at $197.94 average, and maybe the biggest surprise was the average price of muskrats at $5.12.

What is the term for a high quality adult beaver pelt?

One of the verbal artifacts of Hudson’s Bay Company’s fur trade history is “Made Beaver,” defined as the high quality pelt of one adult beaver prepared for shipment. The goods a Native trapper could receive in return for bringing a prime beaver pelt into the trading post varied by place and time.

How many Made Beaver would you need to buy 1 GUN?

In order to trade with Indigenous peoples, the HBC standardized the unit of account as the made beaver, or one high quality beaver skin. In 1795, a made beaver could buy eight knives or one kettle, or a gun could be purchased with 10 made beaver pelts.

How many beavers were killed in the fur trade?

Others prefer dynamite. Two hundred plus years of the fur trade killed off beaver populations—40 to 60 million beavers basked in North America in the 19th century before hunters massacred them for hats and perfume.

What is beaver fur called?

The North American beaver is the continent largest rodent. Its amphibious body is covered with a soft felt-like under fur that is 1 inch thick. This under layer of barbed hairs is called fur-wool and it is covered by a protective over layer of coarse guard hairs measuring about 2 inches in length.

What was traded during the fur trade?

The major trade goods were woollen blankets, cotton and linen cloth, metal goods, firearms and fishing gear. Tobacco, alcohol, trade jewellery and other luxury items accounted for only ten percent of the goods traded. The fur traders received far more than furs from Native people.

What happened to the beaver pelt trade?

Although the fur trade remained valuable, the beaver pelt trade began to die out thereafter. An entire world died off from that point onward. This is a great question. It’s difficult today to even imagine the economic force that was the fur trade in 1700s and 1800s, and all because of hats.

What is the value of a beaver pelt?

The beaver pelt was valuable for the soft undercoat, which was shaved off the pelt, and then “felted” to make hats. A made beaver pelt had lost the guard hairs through usage, while the under coat remained. Removing the guard hairs was too difficult and costly, so a fresh beaver pelt was not worth very much.

How much is a beaver fur coat worth?

A standard pack was worth from £30 to £50, depending on the region and the level of competition. Although beaver was quite coveted by traders, Europe also had a market for lynx and marten furs as well as feathers of Canadian ducks, geese, and swans.

How much did your Pelt sell for in March?

The same pelt would have brought 2 to 3 times that price a year ago. Four of my smaller Easterns averaged $8 in the March sale. After the high end parka trim orders were mostly filled, buyers stopped bidding. Beaver – about a quarter of the offering sold, averaging $14.