I always found that to be funny because of how useful coal could be
like santa is p much giving you free heat because you were bad
or you could sell it and make bank
Except you traditionally only get a single lump of coal for one child.
Let's say that an average lump of coal is about 500 grams, a little over a pound.
In 2012 in the US,
average price of coal at a mine was $39.95 per US ton. That's $39.95 for 907,185 grams.
Our coal lump is 0.000551 of a US ton, so it's worth $0.022. Only 2.2 cents.
Your coal isn't worth much at all.
In 1844, the price of 5 tons of coal was 6 pounds, 5 shillings (1 pound = 20 shillings, 1 shilling = 12 pennies).
According to
The National Archives, the conversion from £6/5/0 in 1844 to decimal pound sterling in 2005 is £301.94
Inflation from 2005 to 2015 sets £301.94 to £414.09
This means that 5 tons of coal, 130 years ago, would cost you roughly £414.09, or, £82.82 per ton.
Meaning that our lump of coal is worth 0.45 pence, or $0.69.
So, even in Victorian England, your lump of coal was worth 31 times as much as it is today, but still worth less than a modern dollar.
I'm sure the conversions are a bit funny, going from American to English, and Victorian to Modern, but either way, your lump of coal in your stocking is not worth much at all in terms of money.
It's not even a significant amount to heat your house with.
