Over the centuries, monarchies have risen and fallen, and wealthy people have risen to prominence. Instead of hiding their wealth, most of these historical figures have decided to let the world know how much money they have. The best way to show off how much money you have, is through status symbols. These symbols, depending on the era the person was wealthy in, tend to indicate what was considered a luxury item. Before people brushed their teeth regularly, many people would lose their teeth. Thus, being able to afford fake teeth was considered a status of wealth.
Nowadays, there are certain status symbols like private planes and expensive sports cars that show off how much money a person has. Not all wealthy people flaunt their net worth, but for the ones that do status symbols are the way they do it. If you’ve been wondering about the kind of status symbols people had in bygone eras, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep scrolling to find out about some of the strangest symbols of wealth that people have had over the centuries. Some of these, like fake teeth make sense, and for others that are totally strange, like tulip bulb collections in the Netherlands.
A Pet Squirrel
Pets are pretty common around the world, although people tend to favor animals like dogs and cats. However, in the 1700s a certain woodland creature was the favored pet. Anyone who could afford a pet, decided to tame a squirrel and keep it in their homes.
Benjamin Franklin had a beloved squirrel named Mungo, who he took with him everywhere. People don’t keep squirrels as pets anymore, but they do keep rodents like hamsters and guinea pigs.
Aluminum Cutlery
Cutlery is one of those things that people of all income levels own in one form or another. In France during the 19th century, a new metal was discovered which became a popular cutlery material. Aluminum was found to be a versatile metal that could easily be moulded into the shape of spoons, knives, and forks.
Only the wealthiest of citizens could afford this metal. Napoleon III liked to ‘wow’ his dinner guests with his ornamental aluminum cutlery. What the French didn’t know was that ingesting aluminum even in small amounts, is very bad for your health. That’s why cutlery is now made from stainless steel or traditional silver.
Woven Gold Shirts
Gold continues to be one of the most expensive elements in the world. People who drape themselves in gold jewelry, and decorate with gold ornaments in their homes are definitely trying to show off their wealth. In 2013, an Indian millionaire named Datta Phuge decided to commission a shirt entirely made of gold.
It was his belief that a shirt made of gold would entice women to be with him. To make the shirt, 15 goldsmiths had to work together to bind the gold sheets together over a two week time period. At the end, Phuge received his $250,000 shirt, which did not appear to help him with the ladies.
A Damien Hirst Original
Contemporary art is very different from that of the Renaissance period. It often features giant installations that make very little sense to the outside observer. During the mid-90s, Charles Saatchi decided he needed to own a Damien Hirst original.
There was no official price tag placed on the piece he commissioned, but when it was ready Hirst charged him a whopping $12 million. The piece itself was a shark carcass encased in formaldehyde. Hirst’s work continues to sell for millions of dollars.
A Sharpshooter Badge
During the 1800s, the United States was still developing its identity. Annie Oakley had become famous for her ability to sharpshoot, which created a stir amongst other people who thought they possessed sharpshooting talent.
The U.S. military decided to use this craze to their advantage, and established a unique set of sharpshooting badges that were handed out to military sharpshooters. These badges would be displayed in prominent positions, to let people know how good of a shot a person was.
A Mummy
In 19th century England, aspiring Egyptologists would travel to the country and search for the graves of famed pharaohs. It was considered a major source of wealth, if you could afford to purchase or find your very own mummy.
These mummies would then be delicately unwrapped during dinner parties, for guests to stare at. Each layer of unwrapping would display scarab charms, and hieroglyphs promising passage into the afterlife. This practice is no longer done, as mummies are considered artifacts to be studied in museums.
Fancy Chicken Coops
Keeping livestock like chickens, pigs, cows, and goats used to be a way for people to make sure they always had enough food to eat. In Silicon Valley, high-tech millionaires have begun investing in chicken coops that look more comfortable than the average person’s home.
They want their chickens to have a stress-free environment in which to produce organic eggs. Some of these coops even have glass windows, chicken patios, and can cost upwards of $20,000.
Pineapples
With globalization now in full effect, pineapples are pretty easy to find at most grocery stores. If we go back to the 1700s though, exotic fruits like pineapple were not as easy to get. Pineapples were considered to be very rare in England, and merchants who had traveled far and wide would bring some of these precious fruits into the country.
Only the wealthiest citizens could afford them, as they cost around $8,000 per pineapple. To make it even stranger, pineapples weren’t prized for their taste, but simply for their appearance. They would sit in a fruit bowl until they began to rot.
Black Teeth
If you have black teeth, then you probably want to head to your local dentist ASAP. However, in the 1800s in Japan black teeth were a symbol of wealth. Geishas and noblewomen would spend hours each day trying to make their teeth as black as possible.
Black teeth actually signified that someone was healthy. We know now that black teeth are actually a sign of poor health, and white teeth are now a sign of wealth.
Antique Swords
Modern weaponry is focused on anything that can be operated remotely, like a drone. In ancient times, swords, spears, and pistols were used as the weapons of war. Wealthy military men would often head into battle with a bejeweled sword, which worked to display their status amongst the nobility.
These swords are still sought after by wealthy collectors, and hung in their homes. Some of these ancient swords can cost upwards of $1,000 depending on the era they are from, and the jewels set in the pommel.
Fake Teeth
Dentures and veneers are pretty common these days. Everyone wants that pearly white smile, which signifies good health. In 20th century England, a lot of people lost their teeth due to poor diets, and lack of proper hygiene.
Instead of improving their dental health, the wealthy opted to have their teeth pulled, and dentures inserted. This gave them that perfect smile they wanted, and let the world know they had the disposable income to purchase a new set of teeth.
Tulip Bulbs
During the 17th century, Holland experienced a tulip bulb craze. Merchants would bring in rare tulip bulbs that they had come across in their travels, and sell them to anyone who could afford them.
Some bulbs would go for as much as $500 or the equivalent in livestock or food. That meant that someone could rise out of poverty, if they were able to get their hands on a rare bulb. This odd craze eventually ended, and people who had relied on the tulip trade found themselves bankrupt.
Individual Board Games
Since humans first created board games, they have existed in one form or another. Some of the earliest games were senet from ancient Egypt, checkers, chess and many more. Early chess boards were found in Asia, and were made from elaborate carved pieces of stone.
Archaeologists believe that these belonged to wealthy citizens, as the game pieces are very intricate. This would have been considered a luxury item, and the average person would not have had the money for trivial expenses like games.
Dueling Scars
Certain sports were considered to be for gentlemen only in Germany and Austria. In the 1800s, fencing with rapiers became very popular. If there was a disagreement, then it would be settled at swordpoint.
If an opponent ended up with facial scars from one of these thin swords, then it showed the world they were afraid of nothing. This fearless attitude was considered to be a priceless character trait, and these men would be sought after for key military and governmental roles.
X-Rays
Whenever a doctor needs to see what’s going on in your body, they order an x-ray. However, when the technology was first invented in 1895 everyone wanted to get an x-ray done, and see inside of their bodies.
The wealthy even bought their own x-ray machines, and held parties where guests could get one and take it home as a party favor. Each one of those x-rays cost a couple of hundred dollars, but guests would treasure them.
John Lennon’s Tooth
The Beatles continue to be one of the most popular bands on earth, even with a few of their key members now gone. Sadly, John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, which made him even more famous than he already was.
Anything that belonged to him is considered to be worth a fortune, and one dentist decided he needed to own a very personal part of Lennon – his tooth. Michael Zuk reportedly paid a whopping $31,000 to own a tooth Lennon had had pulled in the 1960s.
Braces
Good dental hygiene is a sign that a person has enough disposable income to afford basic dentistry services. However, adults and teenagers who suffer from crooked teeth and receive braces are seen as being much more affluent. Braces don’t come cheap, and tend to cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 depending on how many years a person needs them for.
Wearing braces may not be luxurious, but being able to afford to fix crooked teeth is. In some countries, braces wearers even keep theirs on for extra months to let their society know they can afford them. If you’ve ever had braces though, you know that they hurt a lot to wear. Beauty is pain.
Canada Goose Jackets
There are certain brands that just ooze expensive vibes, and Canada Goose is one of them. This exclusive brand is known for its parkas that can keep you warm at -50 degrees Celsius, and look stylish at the same time. Due to the expensive materials and down filling needed to make these jackets, they cost around $1,700.
In North America and Europe, people who want to show off their wealth will wear one of these to run errands, or grab a coffee with a friend. They are so popular, that there have even been thefts associated with the coats.
Persian Beauty Standards
The standard of beauty varies from country to country, but in the 1800s Persia now Iran had some pretty unique ones. Persian men did not want the glossy social influencers we see now.
Instead, they wanted women who were curvy, had long curly hair, and even some facial hair. Obviously, this standard of beauty has changed in modern day Iran, but it’s interesting to see what was once considered beautiful. Everyone is beautiful in their own way.
Hot Chocolate
Cocoa is one of the most readily found sweets in the world, but this was not always the case. The French aristocracy in the 1700s, had started colonizing cocoa producing countries, which saw an influx of the caffeinated substance.
This cocoa was then served in the form of hot chocolate to those that could afford it. Most people outside of the nobility, and very wealthy merchants could not afford the substance, nor had they even heard of it.
Feet Binding
China also had a very unique standard of beauty during the Tang Dynasty. In the early 1900s, noble women and those from wealthy families would be subjected to a process known as foot binding. This painful process would make their feet as small as possible.
It would lead to very deformed feet, which made it difficult for these women to walk. The thought behind the process was that women who could not walk, would not need to work, and thus, came from rich families.
Special License Plates
There are some pretty strange status symbols that have been passed down from generation to generation. In the New England region of the United States, residents pride themselves on having license plates with low numbers.
These low numbers indicate that their families have been in the area for generations, and the license plate number is something that has been passed down. It’s just one more way to these families to trace their lineage back to the original settlers.
Hire A Hermit
The English aristocracy has always been fond of strange trends, and status symbols. One of the oddest occurred in the 1700s. Instead of buying priceless works of art, aristocrats would hire a hermit to live in a secluded area on their estates.
Once the hermit had lived in seclusion and poverty for a set period of time, they would be paid off and sent to live a luxurious life in an English city of their choosing. Aristocrats simply wanted to say they had a resident hermit.
Poulaine Shoes
There have been a lot of different fashion trends through the centuries, but during the Middle Ages the rise of the pointy shoe happened. These sharply pointed leather shoes are thought to have come from France, as the name itself is French – Poulaines.
Only the wealthiest of nobles could afford to own these. If you look at paintings and tapestries from this historical period, you should see a few poulaines poking out from their robes.
Sugar
If you look at the ingredient list on just about any packaged food, there is a bit of sugar listed. Sugar was not as easy to comeby back in the 11th century. It was very expensive to ship back to Europe from Africa and Asia, which meant that kings and queens would use it as a status symbol.
Giant displays of sugar would be placed around the nobility, to show their subjects that they were wealthy.
White Collars and Cuffs
A lot of paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries show noblemen and women wearing starched white collars and cuffs. The ability to keep clothing white, showed that you were both clean and did not carry any sickness.
People who lived in poverty were unable to keep clothing clean, and as the plague had begun to spread the nobility wanted a way to show that they were untouched by it.
Children’s Shoes
While babies and toddlers often get dressed up in cute little shoes, during Roman times children often went barefoot. Naturally, the children of high-ranking Romans needed a status symbol to set them apart.
That’s where these leather sandals come in. They’re the size an infant would wear, but designed to look like an adult Roman’s sandal. Archeologists believe this was to show who was nobility and who wasn’t.
Tapestries
One of the coolest things about the past, is that a lot of the old castles and monuments are still standing. You can walk through the halls of a castle, and imagine what it must have been like to live there.
All of the stone walls used to be covered in elaborate tapestries, both for ornamentation and to keep the cold drafts out. If a family had a lot of tapestries, then they were very affluent.
A Retinue
Social media influencers always need a team of makeup artists, security, choreographers, and publicists following them around. The Medieval period wasn’t much different.
The nobility always needed their retinue with them, which consisted of servants, guards, and anyone else they would need to serve them. The bigger the retinue and the more elaborately dressed, the more important you were considered.
Personal Libraries
You can walk into almost any store, and find a book for sale these days. But back in the 15th century a lot of people could not read.
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Those that could read, tended to collect books for their personal libraries as they were very costly. Some families could only afford to own a couple of books, and usually one of these would be the Bible.
