The deerstalker cap and cape-backed overcoat. The pipe. The grace of gaslit Victoriana. The clop clop of carriage and cobblestone. The fog rolling in from England's imperial seas. Baker Street.
The Cost of Living
In the era of Sherlock Holmes, England uses pounds, shillings and pence. The penny has been in use as the basic unit of currency since introduced into England around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia. Paper notes are large, ungainly things. Safeguarded against forgery by watermarks. Coins are much more common and are the means of everyday exchange. Although no longer minted, the guinea is still used throughout England to indicate the amount of 21 shillings. The guinea has an aristocratic overtone and is used when dealing with professional fees. Payments for land, horses and art are often quoted in guineas. It is popular amongst the gambling fraternity too.
12 pennies (d) | = 1 shilling (/-) |
20 shillings (/-) | = 1 pound (£) |
Cash Amount | Written | Spoken |
two and a half pennies | 2 ½d | tuppence-ha'penny |
two and three quarter pennies | 2 ¾d | tuppence three farthing |
four pennies | 4d | fourpence |
two shillings | 2/- | two shillings or two bob |
eight shillings and four pence | 8/4 | eight and four |
twelve shillings and six pence | 12/6 | twelve and six |
Type of Coin | Description |
Farthing | = A quarter penny. A copper, later bronze (1860), coin. |
Half Penny | Known as a ha'penny. Pronounced hape-nee. A copper, later bronze (1860), coin. |
Penny | The basic unit of English currency. A copper, later bronze (1860), coin. |
Three Pence | Known as a thrupp'ny bit or thruppence. A silver coin. |
Groat | = Four Pence. Known as a Joey. A silver coin. |
Sixpence | Known as a tanner. A silver coin. |
Shilling | Known as a bob. A silver coin. |
Florin | = Two Shillings. Known as a two shilling piece or a two bob bit. A silver coin. |
Halfcrown | = Two Shillings and Six Pence. A silver coin. |
Double Florin | = Four Shillings. Minted from 1887 until 1890. A silver coin. |
Crown | = Five Shillings. A silver coin. |
Half Sovereign | = Ten Shillings. A gold coin. |
Sovereign | = One Pound (£). Known as a quid. A gold coin. |
Double Sovereign | = Two Pounds (£). A gold coin. Not commonly struck for circulation. |
Quintuple Sovereign | = Five Pounds (£). A gold coin. Not commonly struck for circulation. |
Social Class | Description |
Upper Class | Do not work. Income comes from inherited land and investments |
Middle Class | Men who perform mental or "clean" works, paid monthly or annually |
Working Class | Men and women who perform physical labour, paid daily or weekly wages |
Lifestyle | Typical Incomes (annual) |
Aristocrats | £30,000 |
Merchants & Bankers | £10,000 |
Middle Class (doctors, lawyers, clerks) | £300-800 |
Lower Middle Class (teachers, journalists, shopkeepers and the like) | £150-300 |
Skilled Workers (carpenters, typesetters and the like) | £75-100 |
Sailors and Domestic Staff | £40-75 |
Labourers & Soldiers | £25 |
Item | Cost |
Gamekeeper's knife | 4/- |
Derringer | 1 - 3 Pounds |
Revolver | 4 - 8 Pounds |
Shotgun | (single barrel) 4 Pounds |
Shotgun | (double barrel) 6 Pounds |
Rifle | 4 - 10 Pounds |
Holster and Gun Belt | 1 Pound |
Ammunition | 8/- per Box of 100 |
Shotgun Shells | 8/- per Box of 25 |
Saddle, Bridle & Pads | 8 Pounds |
Poor Horse | 4 Pounds |
Fair Horse | 10 Pounds |
Good Horse | 20 Pounds |
Excellent Horse | 30 Pounds |
Rental Housing | Cost (weekly) |
A furnished house in the West End | 5 to 25 guineas |
'Elegantly furnished rooms' in West End | 4 to 15 guineas |
An unfurnished house in Holland Park (wealthy suburb, Kensington area) | 7 to 10 guineas |
A sitting room and bedroom in Pimlico (well-to-do suburb) | 1 to 4 guineas |
A house in suburban Walthamstow (a railway commuter suburb, NE London) | 10 to 40/- |
Three rooms in Soho (relatively poor but central London district) | 14 to 20/- |
House on Shaftesbury Park model housing estate, built for working men and their families in Battersea (varied with size of house, from five rooms through to eight) | 7/6d. to 11/- |
Single room in Soho (relatively poor but central London district) | 6 to 8/- |
Single room for "mechanic" (manual labourer) in lodgings | 3 to 6/- |
Two rooms in Peabody Model Housing | 4/9d. |
Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes model housing estate, two room cottage | 3/6d. |
Hotel | Cost (per night) |
Bed & Breakfast, with dinner and 'attendance' at the Midland Grand Hotel | 14/- |
Bed & Breakfast at a City boarding house | 3/- |
Bed in shared room in 'low lodging house' | 1 to 4d |
Average Weekly Expenditure
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Yearly Expenditure
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