In troubled times, only gold and silver are money, and other paper money, antiques and jewelry have depreciated, because you have to spend money to eat, and the government has the ability to control finance. Paper money depreciates quickly, just like in the Republic of China, when Lao Yuan died, but silver dollars are still circulating all over the country, and paper money is not. It is very likely that the paper money has depreciated as soon as you changed it.