Why was salt so valuable in Roman times?

In Roman times, and throughout the Middle Ages, salt was a valuable commodity, also referred to as “white gold.” This high demand for salt was due to its important use in preserving food, especially meat and fish. Being so valuable, soldiers in the Roman army were sometimes paid with salt instead of money.

Why was salt called white gold?

Salt was called the “white gold” because the value of salt in ancient time was enormous. Prior to refrigeration, freeze-drying, and canning, salt was a primary means of preserving food. Until recently, salt was so valuable that it was used as money.

Why is salt compared to gold?

So salt was valuable because it was useful and could prevent you from starving in winter, but was far, far less costly than gold. It was imported from places closer to the sea by the ton in Roman times – in comparison the usual Roman coin was silver, because gold was too costly for everyday buying and selling.

Is salt as valuable as gold?

Recorded history also soundly refutes the myth that salt was more valuable than gold. YouTube historian Lindybeige cites Venetian trade documents from the height of the salt trade in 1590 that establish the value of 1 ton of salt as 33 gold ducats.

When was salt more expensive than gold?

Is salt called white gold?

Salt was very valuable at that time and, consequently, was sometimes known as “white gold.” Today, we use salt to season food, for instance on French fries. But throughout history salt was used on a far more larger scale than nowadays. Salt was used as a common means of payment.

What is called as white gold in Middle Ages?

Nowadays, salt is mainly used to season food. Several hundred years ago though it mainly served as a substitute for a fridge. People in the Middle Ages mainly used salt to preserve food besides as a condiment, which is why this white gold was so important among the population.

Which was more valuable gold or salt?

The historian explains that, going by trade documents from Venice in 1590, you could purchase a ton of salt for 33 gold ducats (ton the unit of measure, not the hyperbolic large quantity). The fact is that it was actually salt trade that held more worth than the gold industry.

Were gold and salt ever equal in value?

I don’t think that gold and salt ever were equal in value, that’s an exaggeration. Salt was very valuable however, particularly because of its use for conservation – valuable enough to make one very rich. This allowed cities that sold salt (e.g. Lüneburg) to get very wealthy and influential.

What was the price of salt in the year 200 AD?

Some interesting surfing did bring up a good estimate of the price in 200 AD; Eight grams of Gold would buy 2268 grams of Salt (about 5 pounds). Eight grams of Gold is currently worth about US$496 which makes Salt rather cheap now. Salt was much in demand, it is true; but is it very difficult to produce?

How much would 8 grams of gold cost in 200 AD?

Some interesting surfing did bring up a good estimate of the price in 200 AD; Eight grams of Gold would buy 2268 grams of Salt (about 5 pounds). Eight grams of Gold is currently worth about US$496 which makes Salt rather cheap now.

Was salt exchanged for its weight in gold in Africa?

It was said that in the markets to the south of Taghaza salt was exchanged for its weight in gold, which was an exaggeration. The misconception comes from the West African style of silent barter… From this it was reported in Europe that salt was exchanged in Africa for its weight in gold.