List of Price of Medieval Items
Courtesy of Kenneth Hodges
(hodges@jif.berkeley.edu)
The list of medieval prices which
follows is by no means complete or thoroughly researched; I merely extracted
references from some of the books I have, and I thought others might like to
inspect it. The sources I used are listed at the end. If an item is listed
several times, it is because I had several references I wished to record.
[Edit: Bren. And for those in a later period, here is the price list I use for my H+I campaign.]
[Edit: Bren. And for those in a later period, here is the price list I use for my H+I campaign.]
Money
goes as follows:
1 pound (L) = 20 shillings (s)
1 crown = 5 shillings
1 shilling = 12 pence (d)
1 penny = 4 farthings
1 mark = 13s 4d
The French Livre, sou, and denier
are equivalent to the pound, shilling and penny (Latin liber, solidus, and
denarius).
For ease, I've divided this list
into the following sections: tools, horses, food and livestock, books and
education, buildings, cloth and clothing, armor, weapons, marriage, funerals,
travel, miscellaneous goods, and wages.
Of course, a price list is a
misleading guide to a feudal economy, because so many goods were either produced
within a household, or supplied by a lord. Retainers could get money, but they
would also get food, lodging, weapons (sometimes), and cloth. Knights Templar
were provided with clothes, horses, and armor.
TOOLS
Item Price Date Source
Page
2
yokes 4s c1350 [3]
170
Foot
iron of plough 5d " " "
3
mason's tools (not named) 9d " "
"
1
spade and shovel 3d 1457 " "
1
axe 5d " " "
1
augur 3d " " "
1
vise 13s 4d 1514 [5]
27-28
Large
biciron 60s " " "
Small
biciron 16s " " "
Anvil 20s " " "
Bellows 30s " " "
Hammers 8d-2s 8d " " "
2
chisels 8d " " "
Compete
set of armorer's tools £13 16s 11d " " "
Spinning
Wheel 10 d 1457 [3]
170
HORSES
Item Price Date Source
Page
War
Horse up to
50s 12 cen (?) [7]
30
War
Horse up to £80 13 cen
[3] 72
Knight's
2 horses £10 1374 " 76
High-grade
riding horse £10 13th cen "
72
Draught
horse 10s-20s 13th cen " "
Note:
Horse prices varied dramatically; for instance, they doubled
between
1210 and 1310. ([3], p. 37).
FOOD AND
LIVESTOCK
Item Price
Date Source Page
Wine:
Best Gascon in London 4d/gallon 1331
[2] 194
Best Rhenish in London 8d/gallon " " "
Wine:
Cheapest 3d-4d/gal Late 13 cen [3] 62
Best 8d-10d/gal " " "
Ale
(beer comes later):
Good 1.5d/gal 14 cen
[2] 201
Medium 1d/gal " " "
Poor .75d/gal " " "
Ale:
First-rate 1-1.25d/gal 1320-1420 [3]
58
Second-rate .75-1d/gal " " "
Ale
(best):
Somerset .75d 1338 [3]
210
London 1.25d " " "
Beer,
good 1d/quart late 16 cen [8] xx
Dried
Fruit (eg raisins, dates, 1-4d/lb, up
figs, prunes), almonds, rice to 6d rare
14 cen(?) [3] 62-63
Spices
(cinnamon, cloves, mace,
pepper, sugar, etc). 1-3s/lb " " "
Pepper 4s/lb mid 13 cen [9]
218
Pepper 6d/.5lb 1279-1280
[3] 11
Saffron 12s-15s/lb
14 cen(?) [3] 62-63
Cow
(good) 10s 12 cen(?) [7]
30
Cow 9s 5d mid 14th [1]
99
Cow 6s 1285-1290 [3]
206
Ox 13s 1.25d mid 14 cen
[1] 99
Sheep 1s 5d " " "
Wether
(castrated ram):
Somerset 9d-10d 1338 [3]
210
London 1s 5d " " "
Pig:
Somerset 2s 1338 [3]
210
London 3s " " "
Fowl 1d " " "
2
Chickens 1d
14 cen [4] 78
2
Dozen Eggs 1d " " "
Goose
(in London) 6d (legal)
7d-8d asked
1375 [2] 198
80
lb cheese 3s 4d late 13 cen [3] 114
Salted
herring (wholesale) 5-10/1d 1382
[2] 198-199
Salt
conger 6d each 1422-1423
[3] 69
Oats:
Somerset 1s/quarter 1338
" 210
London 2s 2d per " " "
quarter
Cost
of feeding a knight's or £30-£60, 15 cen
[3] 199
merchants household per year up to £100
Related
note: around 1380, these are the average costs per day of feeding
people
on an estate ([3], p. 65): lord, 7d; esquire, 4d; yeoman, 3d; and
groom,
1d.
BOOKS AND EDUCATION
Item Price Date Source
Page
Monastary
School £2 (approx)
1392-1393 [3] 75
per year
Schoolmaster
at Croyden:
Board 2s/week* 1394
[2] 186
Instruction 13s 4d/year "
" "
Oxford:
Board 104s/year 1374
" "
Clothing 40s/year " " "
Instruction 26s 8d/year " " "
University:
Minimum £2£L3/year Late 14 cen [3] 75
Student of good birth £4£L10/year " " "
Fencing
Instruction 10s/month Late 16 cen [8] xx
7
Books £5 (approx)
1479 [3] 76
126
Books £113 1397 [3]
77
To
Rent a book .5d-1d
per mid 13 cen [9]
172
pecia**
*
Source says 2s/day. This is not only
insanely high, but the text also
claims
that the board was the same as at Oxford--i.e., 2s/week or
104s/year.
**
A pecia is 16 columns of 62 lines of 32 letters, i.e., 31 744 letters,
or
about 7 500 - 8 000 words. Rental period
is not specified, but I
would
guess a year; books were rented to be copied, and copying the Bible
took
15 months. See [9], p. 172.
BUILDINGS
Item Price Date Source
Page
Rent
per annum for 138 shops on
London Bridge £160 4s
1365 [2] 114
Rent
for the three London
taverns with the exclusive
right to sell sweet wines
(hippocras, clarry, piments) £200
1365-1375 [2] 195-196
Rent
cottage 5s/year 14 cen(?)
[3] 208
Rent
craftsman's house 20s/year " " "
Rent
merchant's house
£2£L3/year " " "
Cottage
(1 bay, 2 storeys) £2 early 14 cen " 205
Row
house in York (well built) up to £5 "
" "
Craftsman's
house (i.e., with
shop, work area, and room
for workers) with 2-3 bays
and tile roof £10£L15 early 14 cen [3] 205
Modest
hall and chamber, not
including materials £12 1289 [3]
79-80
Merchant's
house £33£L66 early 14 cen [3] 205
House
with courtyard £90+ " " "
Goldsmiths'
Hall (in London,
with hall, kitchen, buttery,
2 chambers) £136 1365 [2]
114
Large
tiled barn £83 1309-1310 [3]
79
Wooden
gatehouse (30' long),
barn, and drawbridge:
Contract £5 6s 8d + 1341
[3] 81
builder's
clothing
Estimated total £16 " " "
Stone
Gatehouse (40' X 18'):
with all except stone £16 13s 4d 1313
[3] 79-80
estimated with stone £30 " " "
Tower
in castle's curtain wall £333, L395 late 14 cen
" "
Castle
& college at Tattershall £450/annum
1434-1446 " 81
for 13 years
Transept
of Gloucester Abbey £781 1368-1373 [3]
79-80
Stonework
of church (125', no £113 13 cen(?) " "
tower) (contract)
note:
tithes were often calculated at 1d a week for every 20s of annual
rent
paid (4, p. 208).
The
following are the estimates of raw materials and labor that went into
the
tower of Langeais, a rectangular, tapering stone tower built in 992-
994. The source is [6], pp. 47ff. The dimensions at the base were 17.5
meters
by 10 meters; the height was 16m (3 floors); the walls were 1.5m
thick,
made of two shells filled with loose rock.
Limestone
in building: about 1050 cubic meters, or 2 600 000 kg
Wood
in building: 47.5 cubic meters, or 34 600 kg
Nails:
3 400, or 50 kg
Mortar:
350 cubic meters.
To
make the mortar:
sand: 225 cubic meters, or 360 000 kg
limestone: 40 cubic meters, or 160 000 kg
green wood: 540 cubic meters, or 286 000 kg
Labor
Costs, in Average Working Days (AWD):
procurement: 14 250
transport: 2 880
labor:
unskilled: 63 500
mason: 12 700
smith: 1 600
CLOTH AND CLOTHING
Item Price Date Source
Page
Fashionable
gown easily £10, late 14
cen [2] 53
up to £50
Gentry:
Shoes
4d 1470s [3]
79
Boots 6d " " "
Purse 1.5d " " "
Hat 10d, 1s 2d " " "
Craftsman's
tabard and super-
tunic 3s 1285-1290 [3]
206
Reeve's
murrey (dark brown) robe 6s 4d
1349-1352 " 176
Reeve's
red robe 5s 3d " " "
Peasants
(wealthy):
Linen Chemise 8d 1313 [3]
175
Shoes 6d " " "
Woolen garment 3s " " "
Fur-lined garments 6s 8d early 14 cen " "
Tunic 3s " " "
Linen 1s " " "
Landless
serfs' tunics 1d-6d mid 14 cen "
176
Cloth
for peasant tunics 8d-1s 3d early 14 cen " "
per yard
Best
Wool 5s/yard 1380
[3] 78
"Tawny
and russet"
6s/yard 1479-1482 "
"
Silk 10s-12s 15 cen(?) "
"
per yard
Furs
added to garment +£2-£3 to 15 cen(?)
" 79
garment
The
worth of cloth provided
yearly by a lord to:
esquires 2s 11d/yard 1289-1290 [3]
78
yeomen 2s/yard " " "
lesser servants 1s 7d/yard " " "
Note:
loose tunics take 2.25-2.5 yards. In the
late 14th century,
shorter
doubled (lined) tunics, known as doublets, became fashionable,
requiring
4 yards ([3], pp 175,176).
ARMOR
Item Price Date Source
Page
Mail 100s 12 cen(?? [7]
30
Ready-made
Milanese armor £8 6s 8d 1441
[4] 112
Squire's
armor £5-£6 16s 8d
" " "
Armor
for Prince of Wales,
"gilt and graven" £340 1614 [5]
20
Complete
Lance Armor £3 6s 8d 1590
[5] 185
Complete
corselets 30s " " "
Cuirass
of proof with pauldrons 40s
" " "
Normal
cuirass with pauldrons 26s 8d " " "
Target
of proof 30s " " "
Morion 3s 4d " " "
Burgonet 4s " " "
Cuirass
of pistol-proof with
pauldrons £1 6s 1624 [5]
189-190
Cuirass
without pauldrons £1 " " "
Lance
Armor £4 " " "
Targets
of Proof 24s " " "
Cuirass
with cap £4 " " "
Armor
of proof £14 2s 8d 1667
" 68
Bascinet 13s 4d + 1369
" 88
3s 4d to
line it
Armor
in a merchant's house
(leather?) 5s 1285-1290 [3]
206
Total
Armor owned by a knight £16 6s 8d 1374
" 76
Armor
in house of Thomas of
Woodstock, duke of Gloucester £103 1397 " 77
Fee
for cleaning rust off
corselets 5d each 1567
[5] 80
Fee
for varnishing, replacing
straps, and rivetting helmet
and corselet 1s 4d 1613 [5]
90
Barrel
for cleaning mail 9d
1467 [5] 79
Note: mail is chainmail; almost all
the rest is plate-armor. The armor of the knight in 1374 was probably mail with
some plates; same for Gloucester's. Mail was extremely susceptible to rust, and
was cleaned by rolling it in sand and vinegar in a barrel. Pauldrons are
shoulder plates; morions are open helms, burgonets and bascinets closed helms;
and a target refers to any of a number different kind of shields. Armor of
proof is tested during the making with blows or shots from the strongest
weapons of the time; if a weapon is listed, the armor does not claim to be
proof against everything, only that it is proof up to that weapon's strength
(eg pistol proof is not musket proof, but may be sword proof). All plate armor
was lined with cloth, to pad the wearer, quiet the armor, and reduce wear
between the pieces. This, along with the necessary straps, was a significant
amount of the expense. An armorer asking for money to set up shop in 1624
estimated production costs and profit for a number of different types of armor:
I give two examples below ([5], pp. 189-190).
Cuirass
of proof with pauldrons:
plates: 5s 6d
finishing, rivets, and straps: 7s 6d
selling price 26s
Lance
armor:
plates 14s 5d
finishing, et cetera 40s
selling price 80s
WEAPONS
Item Price Date Source
Page
Cheap
sword (peasant's) 6d
1340s [3] 174
Pair
of wheel-lock pistols,
with tools for them £2 16s mid 17th [4]
208
Holsters
for pistols 6d " " "
Wheel-lock
carbine £1 10s " "
"
Shoulder
belt for carbine 1s " " "
Pair
of flintlock pistols £2 5s " " "
Flintlock
carbine £1 2s " " "
Musket 16s 6d-18s 6d "
" "
Note: Sorry, folks, that's all I
found. It was mandatory in England for all freemen to own certain types of
weapons and armor. (In 1181 every freeman having goods worth 10 marks (1 mark =
13s 4d) had to have a mail shirt, a helmet, and a spear. All other freemen
should have helmet, spear, and gambeson (quilted armor) [4], p. 39.) Later, the
government stored arms and armour in churches for use; in the 13th century
anyone with an income of £2-£5 (wealthy peasants) had to have bows; archery
practice became compulsory on Sundays and holidays. You may know that the
extreme range of the longbow was 400 yards, but did you know that a statute of
Henry VIII no one over 24 could practice at a range of less than 220 yards?
(See [4], p. 95 and elsewhere). Note: for guessing prices, see the section on
tools (an axe for 5d). An armorer might make 24s a month; say a week to make a
decent sword, and you might get a price that way. See the section on books and
education for fencing instruction.
MARRIAGE
Item Price Date Source
Page
Sample
peasant dowries: 13s 4d, 14 cen(?)
[3] 179
35s 11d,
57s, 63s 4d
For
serfs, mechet (fees) to lord,
depending on wealth 1s-13s 4d 14 cen(?)
[3] 179
Wedding
feast, wealthy peasant 20s " " "
Wealthy
peasant wedding total £3-£4 " " "
Dowry
for esquire's daughter up to £66 15 cen
" 84
13s 4d
Dowry
for baron's daughter £1000 + " " "
London
parents (both sets)
each offered couple £100 1385 [2]
154
Note:
these costs will be wildly varying depending on circumstance.
FUNERALS
Item Price Date Source
Page
Cheap
gentlewoman's funeral
(bell-ringing, clergy, food) £7
1497 [3] 85
Brass
monument, with a figure
incised, on marble base--
fitting for lesser aristocrat £8 early 14 cen " "
Bishop
Mitford's funeral
(with 1450 guests!) £130+ 1407 " "
Memorial
Chapel for Richard
Beauchamp, earl of Warwick £2481
1439-1463 " "
Bronze
effigy on guilded tomb £400 " " "
Note:
Christopher Dyer gives as a rough rule of thumb 1 year's income for
a
funeral ([3], p. 85)
TRAVEL
Item Price Date Source
Page
Queen's
chariot £400 14 cen [1]
99
Lady
Eleanor's chariot £1000 14 cen [1]
99
Chariot £8 1381 [3]
72
Chariot
maintence 1-3s/year 14 cen
" "
Barge £10 " " "
Iron-bound
cart 4s c1350 " 170
Guide
for a night 1d 14 cen [1]
129
Ferry
ride per horseman 1d " " "
Keeping
an earl's warhorse
82 days in summer 36s 9.5d 1287
[3] 71
Note:
[1], pp 126-129, gives the following prices at an inn in 1331. For
one
day, 3 men with 4 servants spent: Bread, 4d; beer, 2d; wine 1.25d;
meat, 5.5d; potage, .25d; candles, .25d; fuel, 2d;
beds, 2d; fodder for
horses,
10d. The four servants staying alone
sleep 2 nights for 1d.
Generally,
all 7 spend 2d a night on beds; in London, it is 1d per head.
MISCELLANEOUS
Item Price Date Source
Page
6
silver spoons 14s 1382 [2]
24
2
gold rings with diamonds £15 " " "
Gold
Ring with ruby 26s 8d " " "
3
strings of pearls 70s " " "
6
gold necklaces 100s " " "
Fee
to enroll an apprentice:
with mercers (cloth dealers) 2s
14 cen [2] 111
with carpenters 1s " " "
Fee
to join guild at end of
apprenticeship:
with mercers 20s " [2]
111
with carpenters 3s 4d " " "
Fee
to join guild 6s 8d-£3 14 cen(?)
[3] 208
Fee
to gain freedom of a town
(to enjoy its exemption from
feudal duties) 3s 4d-20s 14 cen(?)
[3] 208
To
empty a cesspit in a city 6s 8d 15 cen(?) [3]
209
Candles
Somerset 1.5d/lb 1338
[3] 210
London 2d-2.5d/lb " " "
Candles
tallow 1.5d/lb 15 cen(?)
[3] 74
wax 6.5d/lb 1406-1407 "
"
Vat 4d 1457 [3]
170
Barrel 3d " "
"
Bottle 4d " " "
2
buckets 1s " " "
1
sheet 4d " " "
1
mattress 2d " " "
4
pillows 4d " " "
3
boards for a bed 4d " " "
2
sheets, 4 blankets 5s 8p 1349-1352 "
"
16
bedspreads, 20 sheets,
8 featherbeds £3 1s 1285-1290 [3]
206
Duke's
bed of cloth of gold,
with blue satin canopy £182 3s 1397
[3] 77
Table 6d 1457 [3]
170
Chair 3d
" " "
Chest
with necessaries thereto 2s 2d " " "
2
chests 6d
each " " "
Metal
ewer 6d 1349-1352 "
"
Brass
pot 2s " " "
Basin
and ewer 8d " " "
Basin
and ewer 2s 8d " " "
Towel 6d " " "
Coffer 1s " " "
2
stools 8d " " "
Ceramic
cooking pot .5d 1340s " 174
Note:
most of these come from inventories of peasants' belongings. The
fine
goods would be more expensive.
Note
about lighting: great houses could use 100 lb of wax and tallow in a
single
winter night ([3], p. 74). Others, not
as rich, would go to sleep
earlier.
WAGES
Profession Wage Date Source
Page
Mercenaries:
knight banneret 4s/day 1316 [4]
78
knight 2s/day " " "
man-at-arms or squire 1s/day " " "
Regular
Army
Esquires, constables, and
centenars 1s/day 1346 [4]
79
Mounted archers, armored
infantry, hobilars,
vintenars 6d/day " " "
Welsh vintenars 4d/day " " "
Archers 3d/day " " "
Welsh infantry 2d/day " " "
Captain 8s/day late 16 cen [4] 181
Lieutenant 4s/day " " "
Ensign 2s/day " " "
Drummer or trumpeter 20d/day " " "
cavalryman 18d/day " " "
infantry 8d/day " " "
Laborer £2/year max c1300 [3]
29
Crown
revenues (at peace) £30 000 c1300 " "
Barons
per year £200-500+ c1300
" "
Earls per year £400-£11000 c1300 " "
Sergeant
at Law (top lawyer) £300/year 1455
" 47
Chief
armorer 26s 8d/month
1544 [5] 182
Other
armorers in same shop 24s/month 1544
" "
except "Old Martyn" who made 38s 10d/month 1544 " "
Apprentices
in same shop 6d/day 1544 " "
Master
mason 4d/day 1351 [2]
24
Master
carpenter 3d/day " " "
Carpenters'
Guild stipend to
a sick member 14d/week 1333
[2] 156
Weavers 5d/day, no 1407
[2] 146
food
Chantry
priest per year £4 13s 4d 1379
[2] 24
Squires
per annum 13s 4d-£1 14 cen
[1] 116-117
Carters,
porters, falconers 5s-8s 8d 14 cen
[1] 116-117
grooms, messengers per year
Kitchen
servants 2s-4s/year 14 cen
[1] 116-117
Boys
and pages
1s-6s/year 14 cen [1]
116-117
Wardens
of London Bridges £10/year 1382
[2] 128
Note:
sheriffs of London paid 300 £s per year, hoping to make a profit from
the
fines they collected.
Note:
30 adult sheep could produce about 20s of wool per year in 1299
([3],
p. 114).
Note:
To get a VERY ROUGH sense of money, I reproduce the following chart
from
Dyer ([3], p. 206). These are averages
of daily wages in pence.
Decade Thatcher Thatcher's mate
1261-70 2 -
1271-80 2.5 1
1281-90 2.25 1
1291-1300 2.5 1
1301-10 2.5 1
1311-20 3 1.25
1321-30 3 1
1331-40 3 1.25
1341-50 3 1.25
1351-60 3.5 2
1361-70 3.5 2
1371-80 4.25 2.5
1381-90 4 2.25
1391-1400 4.25 2.75
1401-10 4.5 3
1411-20 4.75 3
1421-30 4.5 3
1431-40 4.5 3.25
1441-50 5.25 4
1451-60 5.5 3.25
1461-70 4.75 3.75
1471-80 5.25 3.75
1481-90 6 3.75
1491-1500 5.5 3.5
1501-10 5.75 4
1511-20 5.25 4
[1] English Wayfaring Life in the
XIVth Century, J. J. Jusserand, trans Lucy Smith, Putnam's Sons, New
York,1931 (Orig. 1889).
[2] London in the Age of Chaucer,
A. R. Myers, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, 1972
[3] Standards of Living in the
Later Middle Ages, Christopher Dyer, Cambridge University Press, 1989
[4] English Weapons &
Warfare, 449-1660, A. V. B. Norman and Don Pottinger, Barnes & Noble,
1992 (orig. 1966)
[5] The Armourer and his Craft
from the XIth to the XVIth Century, Charles ffoulkes, Dover, 1988 (orig.
1912)
[6] "The Cost of Castle
Building: The Case of the Tower at Langeais," Bernard Bachrach, in The
Medieval Castle: Romance and Reality, ed. Kathryn Reyerson and Faye Powe,
Kendall/Hunt, Dubuque, Iowa, 1984
[7] The Knight in History,
Frances Gies, Harper & Row, New York, 1984
[8] Methods and Practice of
Elizabethan Swordplay, Craig Turner and Tony Soper, Southern Illinois
University Press, Carbondale, 1990
[9] Life in a Medieval City,
Joseph and Frances Gies, Harper & Row, New York, 1969
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