Hello! I am trying to put something together for the middle ages gift exchange, so any help would be appreciated. I would like to provide my match with more info than "I vaguely remember from tv/internet that.."
I do remember hearing a story about how peppercorns were so valuable that in Alexandria they would be counted out individually with tweezers.
A study at the University of Toronto estimated $18 per pound in medieval London where a skilled craftsman would earn the equivalent of $8 per day.
They derived prices relative to other commodities for three medieval areas London, Antwerp and Oxford - and compared to modern (2001) Canada.
If you want to understand their methodology, its a pretty long read but if just want the answers they are summarized in tables at the very end.
http://www.economics.utoronto.ca/wwwfiles/archives/munro5/SPICES1.htm