How much is that worth today?
1936 George V penny
Running a local history website I am often asked ‘How much is that worth today?’ This is not the straight forward question that it seems at first sight. A lot depends on the context of the enquiry and the underlying figures used in the calculations, and pressures caused by floods, famines, wars and pestilence. The further you go back in time the less raw data is available so it is not surprising that the figures do not give a smooth line if plotted on a graph.
Rather than trying to do all the research and complicated sums we have often used the following website www.measuringworth.com. Measuringworth.com give two answers depending on what you are trying to achieve. One is for people who just want to know how much something (say a loaf of bread) costs in today’s money, and is based on the Retail Price Index. The other is for people who want to know how affordable something was and is based on average wages. Their website is well worth a visit and explains more fully why they use these two measures.
The National Archives also has a ‘currency converter’ http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/currency/ but don’t be surprised that the two sites produce different figures.
Peter Reed 2009 Updated 2021
Old coinage
Value of some pre decimal coins used in England:
Angel / Noble = 6s.8d (33.3p)
Crown (post 1551*) = 5s. (25p)
Farthing = 0.25d (1/960 of £1)
Florin = 2s. = 24d (10p)
Groat = 4d (1.5p)
Guinea (post 1717*) = £1 1s. (£1.05)
Half Crown (post 1551*) = 2s.6d (12½p)
Half-Penny 0.5d = (1/480 of £1)
Mark (Not an English Coin*) = 13s.4d (66.6p)
Ora (Not an English Coin) = 16d (6.6p)
Pence (Post Decimal) = 2.4d (1p)
Penny (Pre Decimal) = 1d (0.5p strictly 1/240 of £1)
Ryal (also known as a Rose Nobel or Royal)= 10s. (50p)
Shilling (also known as a Bob)= 1s. = 12d (5p)
Sixpence (also known as a Tanner) / Helm = 6d (2½p)
Sovereign (post 1817*) / Unite / Pound = £1
Threepenny piece = 3d (1p strictly 3/240 of £1)
(* = some coins had different values at different times)
Decimal Currency Conversion Table
Prior to decimalisation (15 February 1971) £1 = 20s. = 240d
| s.d | p | s.d | p | s.d | p | s.d | p | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1d | ½p | 5s.1d | 25½p | 10s.1d | 50½p | 15s.1d | 75½p | |||
| 2d | 1p | 5s.2d | 26p | 10s.2d | 51p | 15s.2d | 76p | |||
| 3d | 1p | 5s.3d | 26p | 10s.3d | 51p | 15s.3d | 76p | |||
| 4d | 1½p | 5s.4d | 26½p | 10s.4d | 51½p | 15s.4d | 76½p | |||
| 5d | 2p | 5s.5d | 27p | 10s.5d | 52p | 15s.5d | 77p | |||
| 6d | 2½p | 5s.6d | 27½p | 10s.6d | 52½p | 15s.6d | 77½p | |||
| 7d | 3p | 5s.7d | 28p | 10s.7d | 53p | 15s.7d | 78p | |||
| 8d | 3½p | 5s.8d | 28½p | 10s.8d | 53½p | 15s.8d | 78½p | |||
| 9d | 4p | 5s.9d | 29p | 10s.9d | 54p | 15s.9d | 79p | |||
| 10d | 4p | 5s.10d | 29p | 10s.10d | 54p | 15s.10d | 79p | |||
| 11d | 4½p | 5s.11d | 29½p | 10s.11d | 54½p | 15s.11d | 79½p | |||
| 1s.0d | 5p | 6s.0d | 30p | 11s.0d | 55p | 16s.0d | 80p | |||
| 1s.1d | 5½p | 6s.1d | 30½p | 11s.1d | 55½p | 16s.1d | 80½p | |||
| 1s.2d | 6p | 6s.2d | 31p | 11s.2d | 56p | 16s.2d | 81p | |||
| 1s.3d | 6p | 6s.3d | 31p | 11s.3d | 56p | 16s.3d | 81p | |||
| 1s.4d | 6½p | 6s.4d | 31½p | 11s.4d | 56½p | 16s.4d | 81½p | |||
| 1s.5d | 7p | 6s.5d | 32p | 11s.5d | 57p | 16s.5d | 82p | |||
| 1s.6d | 7½p | 6s.6d | 32½p | 11s.6d | 57½p | 16s.6d | 82½p | |||
| 1s.7d | 8p | 6s.7d | 33p | 11s.7d | 58p | 16s.7d | 83p | |||
| 1s.8d | 8½p | 6s.8d | 33½p | 11s.8d | 58½p | 16s.8d | 83½p | |||
| 1s.9d | 9p | 6s.9d | 34p | 11s.9d | 59p | 16s.9d | 84p | |||
| 1s.10d | 9p | 6s.10d | 34p | 11s.10d | 59p | 16s.10d | 84p | |||
| 1s.11d | 9½p | 6s.11d | 34½p | 11s.11d | 59½p | 16s.11d | 84½p | |||
| 2s.0d | 10p | 7s.0d | 35p | 12s.0d | 60p | 17s.0d | 85p | |||
| 2s.1d | 10½p | 7s.1d | 35½p | 12s.1d | 60½p | 17s.1d | 85½p | |||
| 2s.2d | 11p | 7s.2d | 36p | 12s.2d | 61p | 17s.2d | 86p | |||
| 2s.3d | 11p | 7s.3d | 36p | 12s.3d | 61p | 17s.3d | 86p | |||
| 2s.4d | 11½p | 7s.4d | 36½p | 12s.4d | 61½p | 17s.4d | 86½p | |||
| 2s.5d | 12p | 7s.5d | 37p | 12s.5d | 62p | 17s.5d | 87p | |||
| 2s.6d | 12½p | 7s.6d | 37½p | 12s.6d | 62½p | 17s.6d | 87½p | |||
| 2s.7d | 13p | 7s.7d | 38p | 12s.7d | 63p | 17s.7d | 88p | |||
| 2s.8d | 13½p | 7s.8d | 38½p | 12s.8d | 63½p | 17s.8d | 88½p | |||
| 2s.9d | 14p | 7s.9d | 39p | 12s.9d | 64p | 17s.9d | 89p | |||
| 2s.10d | 14p | 7s.10d | 39p | 12s.10d | 64p | 17s.10d | 89p | |||
| 2s.11d | 14½p | 7s.11d | 39½p | 12s.11d | 64½p | 17s.11d | 89½p | |||
| 3s.0d | 15p | 8s.0d | 40p | 13s.0d | 65p | 18s.0d | 90p | |||
| 3s.1d | 15½p | 8s.1d | 40½p | 13s.1d | 65½p | 18s.1d | 90½p | |||
| 3s.2d | 16p | 8s.2d | 41p | 13s.2d | 66p | 18s.2d | 91p | |||
| 3s.3d | 16p | 8s.3d | 41p | 13s.3d | 66p | 18s.3d | 91p | |||
| 3s.4d | 16½p | 8s.4d | 41½p | 13s.4d | 66½p | 18s.4d | 91½p | |||
| 3s.5d | 17p | 8s.5d | 42p | 13s.5d | 67p | 18s.5d | 92p | |||
| 3s.6d | 17½p | 8s.6d | 42½p | 13s.6d | 67½p | 18s.6d | 92½p | |||
| 3s.7d | 18p | 8s.7d | 43p | 13s.7d | 68p | 18s.7d | 93p | |||
| 3s.8d | 18½p | 8s.8d | 43½p | 13s.8d | 68½p | 18s.8d | 93½p | |||
| 3s.9d | 19p | 8s.9d | 44p | 13s.9d | 69p | 18s.9d | 94p | |||
| 3s.10d | 19p | 8s.10d | 44p | 13s.10d | 69p | 18s.10d | 94p | |||
| 3s.11d | 19½p | 8s.11d | 44½p | 13s.11d | 69½p | 18s.11d | 94½p | |||
| 4s.0d | 20p | 9s.0d | 45p | 14s.0d | 70p | 19s.0d | 95p | |||
| 4s.1d | 20½p | 9s.1d | 45½p | 14s.1d | 70½p | 19s.1d | 95½p | |||
| 4s.2d | 21p | 9s.2d | 46p | 14s.2d | 71p | 19s.2d | 96p | |||
| 4s.3d | 21p | 9s.3d | 46p | 14s.3d | 71p | 19s.3d | 96p | |||
| 4s.4d | 21½p | 9s.4d | 46½p | 14s.4d | 71½p | 19s.4d | 96½p | |||
| 4s.5d | 22p | 9s.5d | 47p | 14s.5d | 72p | 19s.5d | 97p | |||
| 4s.6d | 22½p | 9s.6d | 47½p | 14s.6d | 72½p | 19s.6d | 97½p | |||
| 4s.7d | 23p | 9s.7d | 48p | 14s.7d | 73p | 19s.7d | 98p | |||
| 4s.8d | 23½p | 9s.8d | 48½p | 14s.8d | 73½p | 19s.8d | 98½p | |||
| 4s.9d | 24p | 9s.9d | 49p | 14s.9d | 74p | 19s.9d | 99p | |||
| 4s.10d | 24p | 9s.10d | 49p | 14s.10d | 74p | 19s.10d | 99p | |||
| 4s.11d | 24½p | 9s.11d | 49½p | 14s.11d | 74½p | 19s.11d | 99½p | |||
| 5s.0d | 25p | 10s.0d | 50p | 15s.0d | 75p | £1.0s.0d | £1.00 |