"A dollar today is not the same as a dollar in 1910"
TimeBucks provides a universal notation system for expressing currency values across time periods, making it clear when a monetary amount is anchored to a specific time period and how it can be converted using different economic models.
Current approaches to historical currency comparison are inconsistent and confusing:
- "In constant dollars" - but which year?
- "Adjusted for inflation" - but which method?
- "$100 in 1910 money" - equivalent to what today?
Different calculation methods (CPI, wage comparison, gold standard) yield dramatically different results, yet most tools hide this complexity.
$X@YYYY
Where:
$= Currency symbol (works with €, £, ¥, etc.)X= Amount@= "at" symbol indicating temporal anchorYYYY= Year (can extend to YYYY-MM-DD for precision)
$100@1910= "100 dollars as valued in 1910"€50@2000= "50 euros as valued in 2000"£25@1950= "25 pounds as valued in 1950"
$X@YYYY₁ →[method] $Y@YYYY₂[method:YYYY₁]
Key principle: The result preserves complete transformation metadata.
$100@1910 →[CPI] $3,150@2024[CPI:1910]
$100@1910 →[WAGE] $2,800@2024[WAGE:1910]
$100@1910 →[GOLD] $4,200@2024[GOLD:1910]
Direct historical or current facts with no calculation involved:
$825@1908(what a Model T actually cost in 1908)$45,000@2024(what something actually costs in 2024)
Derived through economic transformation, preserving full provenance:
$27,000@2024[CPI:1908](1908 value expressed in 2024 CPI terms)$35,000@2024[WAGE:1908](1908 value expressed in 2024 wage equivalents)
Default method measuring general price inflation:
$100@1970 →[CPI] $667@2024[CPI:1970]
For cross-country comparisons:
$100@1970 →[PPP] $580@2024[PPP:1970]
Based on gold price equivalents:
$100@1970 →[GOLD] $750@2024[GOLD:1970]
Based on average wage multiples:
$100@1970 →[WAGE] $720@2024[WAGE:1970]
"The Model T Ford cost $825@1908 →[CPI] $27,000@2024[CPI:1908], but when compared by average wages, $825@1908 →[WAGE] $35,000@2024[WAGE:1908]."
"Annual rent: $2,000@2024 →[CPI] $X@2025[CPI:2024] (adjusted yearly)"
"Babe Ruth's $80,000@1930 →[CPI] $1.4M@2024[CPI:1930] salary represents $80,000@1930 →[WAGE] $2.1M@2024[WAGE:1930] in wage equivalents."
- Natural values:
$X@YYYY(complete temporal currency units) - Calculated values:
$X@YYYY[method:source_year](complete transformation metadata) - All transformations are invertible and verifiable
→[method]: USD@t₁ → USD@t₂[method:t₁]
The method operator takes temporal currency units and produces new temporal currency units with complete provenance.
- Transparency: Clear methodology in research
- Reproducibility: Anyone can verify calculations
- Comparison: Easy to show different methods side-by-side
- Precision: Eliminates interpretation disputes in contracts
- Standardization: Consistent across all agreements
- Enforceability: Clear mathematical basis for adjustments
- Education: Helps people understand economic concepts
- Clarity: No ambiguity about time periods or methods
- Universality: Works with any currency and time period
npm install timebucksimport { TimeBucks } from 'timebucks';
// Create temporal currency values
const ford1908 = TimeBucks.parse('$825@1908');
const modern = ford1908.transform('CPI', 2024);
console.log(modern.toString()); // "$27,000@2024[CPI:1908]"TimeBucks is an open-source standard. Contributions welcome for:
- Additional transformation methods
- Historical data sources
- Language implementations
- Academic papers and examples
MIT License - see LICENSE file for details
"Making temporal currency comparisons transparent, rigorous, and universally understandable."