It's hard to believe that these items which most of us use, or come in to contact with everyday were once so expensive that they were reserved for royalty and the elite. Here are 6 very common items that you wouldn't believe were so valuable only a few hundred years ago.
1. In the 1700s sugar was more valuable gold and played a large part in the start of the slave trade. Europeans transported slaves to the Caribbean islands in order to increase production and reduce costs.
2. Not technically an “every day item” but did you know people used to trade their houses for tulip bulbs? Yep, up to the mid 1600s tulip bulbs were the epitome of luxury. That was all until the market crashed and suddenly tulip bulbs were no more expensive than an onion.
3. Just a few hundred years ago it was only the super elite that consumed tea. Tea has a very rich history and has responsible for wars, as well as the start of the American revolution - you can read about the Boston Tea Party here. Today it’s consumed in vast quantities and readily available to most.
Image credits: teaoff.co.uk
4. Cotton is now found all over the home, but just like the other items we’ve listed, it was once reserved for royalty. It was so valuable that just like sugar, it played a huge part in the beginning of the slave trade. Today, cotton is found all around our home, from our bed sheets to the clothes we wear.
5. As hard as it is to believe, salt was also more valuable than gold for hundreds of years prior to the 1600s.
6. Now used to coat pennies, as well as being present in most of our smart devices, copper was once in extremely high demand, yet in low supply. At its pinnacle a ton of copper was worth over £21,000.
