Posted by John Birch on July 07, 2000 at 11:59:07 from gateway1.gsi.gov.uk:
In Reply to: Re: Money posted by Nina on July 03, 2000 at 04:09:11:
The following will (hopefully) be a definative conversion table for
any sums of money mentioned in S&A (or any other novel of the period).
As prices throughout the 1930s were pretty constant, this applies to all books.
Column A is numerical "old money" values, as used in the
books. (Note: to overseas - and younger UK! - readers, 12d (pennies) to a shilling, 20 shillings to a pound.
Column B gives the name (or, if in inverted commas, the coloquial term) for some of the values.
Column C converts the "old" to "new money", as used in Britain since 15.2.1971
Column D converts to $US dollars at the 1930s rate of $4 to £1
Column E converts to $AUS dollars. Of course in the 1930s Australia used the same system as Britain, but the sums terms may be as meaningless to Australian readers as they are to younger UK readers (especially as the Australian Dollar came in nearly ten years earlier than the "new pound" and at a rate of $AUS 2 at £1 - which has been used here)
Column F converts to £ sterling at current prices (ie, taking into account 70 years inflation)
Column G converts this to $US dollars at today's exchange rate ($1.51 to £1)
Column H converts E to $AUS at today's exchange rate ($2.55 to £1)
Note: Some readers may be particularly impressed to see that 1p is now worth one quarter of one 1930s farthing....
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | "Old money" value | Name | "New money" | 1930s exchange rate | 2000 prices(Rates at 7.7.00) |
US$ | Aus$ | £ | US$ | Aus$ | |||
| ¼d | Farthing | - | ½¢ | - | 4p | 6¢ | 10¢ |
| ½d | "Ha-penny" | - | 1¢ | ½¢ | 8p | 12¢ | 21¢ |
1d | Penny | ½p | 2¢ | 1¢ | 16p | 25¢ | 41¢ |
2d | "Tuppence" | 1p | 3¢ | 2¢ | 33p | 49¢ | 83¢ |
3d | "Thrupence" | 1p | 5¢ | 3¢ | 49p | 74¢ | $1.24 |
4d | 1½p | 7¢ | 3¢ | 65p | 98¢ | $1.66 | |
5d | 2p | 8¢ | 4¢ | 81p | $1.23 | $2.07 | |
6d | "Tanner" | 2½p | 10¢ | 5¢ | 98p | $1.47 | $2.49 |
7d | 3p | 12¢ | 6¢ | £1.14 | $1.72 | $2.90 | |
8d | 3p | 13¢ | 7¢ | £1.30 | $1.96 | $3.32 | |
9d | 3½p | 15¢ | 8¢ | £1.46 | $2.21 | $3.73 | |
10d | 4p | 17¢ | 8¢ | £1.63 | $2.45 | $4.14 | |
11d | 4½p | 18¢ | 9¢ | £1.79 | $2.70 | $4.56 | |
1/- | "Bob" | 5p | 20¢ | 10¢ | £1.95 | $2.94 | $4.97 |
2/- | Florin | 10p | 40¢ | 20¢ | £3.90 | $5.89 | $9.95 |
2/6 | Half-crown | 12½p | 50¢ | 25¢ | £4.88 | $7.36 | $12.43 |
5/- | Crown | 25p | $1.00 | 50¢ | £9.75 | $14.72 | $24.86 |
10/- | 50p | $2.00 | $1.00 | £19.50 | $29.45 | $49.73 | |
£1 | Pound | £1.00 | $4.00 | $2.00 | £39.00 | $58.89 | $99.45 |