We construct a unique data set from succession sales in Mauritius to investigate the slaves’
characteristics the most sought after by slave owners. As in other slave economies, males are
sold at a higher price than females, but slaves reach their maximum price earlier in Mauritius.
Skilled slaves are sold at a premium over both household and agricultural slaves, and Indian
slaves are cheaper than Creole, Malagasy and Mozambican ones. There is a seasonal effect
coinciding with the sugar cane harvest season. Each child sold with her mother increases the
price of the mother-child bundle by 15 to 84 percent depending on the child’s age. Moreover,
that child-premium increases over the period. This may indicate that, at that time, slave owners
either did not anticipate the 1835 abolition of slavery or thought that it would have no impact on
the value of their human assets.