One dollar in 1943 is worth about $19 today's dollars.

He started in 1938 and was arrested in 1948:

    1938 23.42
    1943 19.09
    1948 13.70

Enough to buy some supplies, but how did he pay the rent? Perhaps he owned his apartment.

https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1948?amount=1

▲ kennywinker 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> Juettner began working as a maintenance man and building superintendent in New York's Upper East Side. His job allowed him and his family to live rent free in the basement of the building where he worked.

	▲	kristianp 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, but he was forced to counterfeit when that job ended.

▲ dnnddidiej 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If $1 is $19 I am suprised more people didnt check that their $1 notes are legit back then. Story makes it sound like $1 was chump change.

▲ rz2k 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Since they were silver certificates he could have redeemed them for a 26.73g coin composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. In 2026, the value of the silver has fluctuated between about $46 and $94 (and the value of the copper content has stayed a little over 3 cents).

	▲	sokoloff 3 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Those stopped being redeemable for silver in 1968, so their value is no longer defined by the metal prices of 2026.
	▲	spwa4 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		If you swap them in stores, maybe. But taking counterfeit bills to the national bank is just stupid, even if very well made.

▲ noduerme 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Would owning his apartment disqualify him from being a folk hero? If he was a renter, does he deserve to be a hero? Just wondering. If he'd gotten rich from printing fake currency and become a right wing dictator would you think the same as if he was just a broke tenant? Why or why not?

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miksuko 3 hours ago | parent [-]

The hell are you talking about?

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noduerme 3 hours ago | parent [-]

I'm talking about the vague implications the parent poster was making - the purposes of which weren't very clear, but which I interpreted as: "A) Money is worth less than it was, (so printing fake money is justified) B) But on the other hand maybe he was part of the propertied class (in which case it wouldn't be)". I was asking whether they had a moral compass.

	▲	slazaro an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I think you're reading way too much into that comment. Sometimes questions are just questions out of curiosity, not accusations of the opposite.