A Joycean Price Guide

The following is intended to provide some standard of comparison for the various prices and other sums of money mentioned in Joyce’s works. Where a price is not stated by Joyce, it has been supplied from the 1907 catalogue of the Army & Navy Stores (ANS). Dublin prices may have been cheaper.

In British pre-decimal currency:

1 guinea = £1 1s

£1 (one pound) = 20 shillings or 240 pennies

1s (one shilling) = 12 pence (pennies)

1d (one penny) = 2 halfpennies or 4 farthings

Coins in use were the gold sovereign (£1 or a 'quid') and half-sovereign (10s); the crown (5s); the half-crown (2s 6d); the florin (2s); the shilling or 'bob' (1s); the sixpence or 'tanner' (6d); the threepenny bit (3d); the penny (1d); halfpenny (½d), and the farthing (¼d).

The guinea no longer existed as a coin, but was still used as a pricing unit in upmarket shops, in reckoning professional fees, and in prizes for horse races.

Specifically Irish terms are 'bar' (shilling), 'wing' (penny) and 'make' (halfpenny).


1d

eight plums

five Woodbine cigarettes

two apples

two Banbury cakes

two herrings

one pint of porter

donation to a onelegged sailor

Freeman’s Journal

tramfare

secondhand French primer


1½d

plate of peas


2d

pint of milk

pint of beer

admission to waxworks (children 1d)

shave for Simon Dedalus

secondhand books (four for 6d)

notepaper and two envelopes

tip to a bothered waiter

cigar at Barney Kiernan’s

cup of coffee at the cabmen’s shelter

bun at the cabmen’s shelter

to operate the pianola at Bella Cohen’s


3d

pork kidney from Dlugacz

tip to porter at Newhaven

raffle ticket for a turkey

sheep’s trotter

one pound of Herzog’s sugar

admission to Nelson Pillar


4d

cake of lemon soap

Dante’s methylated spirits (1 pint?)

pig’s trotter

square of soda bread

admission to circus (child)


5d

('fippence') the leg of the duck


6d

lunch at Rowe’s

tanner lunch (mutton, carrots & turnips, Alsop)

night at Mrs Maloney’s doss-house

game of billiards at Adelphi Hotel

given to organ-grinder to go away

value of a yearling sheep


6½d

('Tanner and a Make') among HCE’s nicknames


7d

lunch at Davy Byrne’s


7½d

one pound of Lipton’s fairy cakes


8d

lunch at the Burton

value of a yearling goat


9d

fine for scribicide (or £4)


11d

two pounds of cherry cakes


1s

Bridie Kelly’s charges (plus luckpenny)

admission to Araby Bazaar

bottle of jalap

night at the Brazen Head

a dozen workingstacks

admission to museomound: 'Welsh and the Paddy Patkinses

(others free)

('ardree’s shilling') paid to army recruits

('a scrab') admission to Feenichts Playhouse

('a saxum shillum') tip to sexton


1s 1d

Tricoloured boater


1s 2d

pound tin of Epps’ cocoa (also in 4 & 8 ox packets)

1s 4d

brawn, quantity unspecified


1s 6d

bath and gratification


1s 9d

twelve rolls of Dockrell’s wallpaper

dinner at the Ormond Hotel (best value in Dub)


1s 11d

box of Iron Jelloids (also at 2s 8d)


2s

Stephen’s debt to Fred Ryan

reward for rescuing Reuben J. Dodd Jr

repairing broken statuette

tip to Meath Street prostitute

ticket to Eire Abu Society concert

one pound of Anne Lynch’s tea

secondhand astronomy book

('two bar') admission to boxing match (soldiers 1s)


2s 1d

Seven fingers of shopsoiled ribbon at Clery’s sale

('two bar and a wing') round of drinks at Burke’s


2s 2d

box of Widow Welch’s pills


2s 4d

slice of plumcake


2s 6d

Bank Holiday return rail fare Dublin-Mullingar

one dozen oysters

postal order for Martha Clifford

Terry’s bet on Zinfandel

Love Songs of Connacht

Demidoff’s jewel


2s 7d

one yard of black satin for blouse (or 2s 9d)


2s 9d

Molly’s lotion

tam o’shanter, knitted


3s

Hynes’s debt to Bloom

a sandwichman’s daily wage

pair grey flannelette bloomers (astonishing bargain)

one pound of Herzog’s tea

the Morkans’ tea (one pound?)

one pint of pulexes

priest’s fee for saying a mass


3s 6d

boy’s man-o’war cap


3s 9d

Marge’s 'ethel' dress (reduced)


4s 7d

Loan offered by HCE to his assailant


4s 10d

bottle of Allan’s Anti-Fat


4s 11d

one pair of green knickers


5s

cost per head of proposed picnic

ticket for preserved seat at concert

price realised at auction by pair of curtains

Bloom’s donation to Dignam fund


5s 6d

return rail fare Dublin-Mullingar


6s

secondhand melodeon at Marks

raised by Farrington’s watch at pawnshop


7s

Eveline’s weekly wage as shop assistant

Molly’s win at Leopardstown races

weekly rent of Denis Breen’s father’s house


7s 6d

Wonderworker


7s 9d

sailor suit, age 3-4


8s 6d

Dressing jacket (or 18s 6d)

Harris tweed cap


10s

Stephen’s debt to Cousins

Bloom’s annual payment to cemetery gardener

a short time at Bella Cohen’s brothel

raised by Temple’s watch at pawnshop

Stephen’s pocket money for first term at school

Bags Comisky’s fine for drunk and disorderly

twelve rolls embossed wallpaper


10s 6d

Stephen’s debt to Bob Reynolds

Kernan’s secondhand coat

brass fender from Hampton Leedom’s


10s 11d

Annie Chandler’s blouse (expensive)


11s

One pair of trousers from Kino’s

weekly board at the Rum and Puncheon


11s 6d

kidfitting corset


12s 6d

Milly’s weekly wage as photographer’s assistant


15s

weekly board at Mrs Mooney’s

Gabriel’s weekly fee for book reviews (paltry)

Sandow-Whiteley’s pulley exerciser (athlete’s model £1)


18s

Ormond barmaids’ weekly wage


19s 11d

Josie Breen’s hat


£1

fraudulent price of passage to Canada

Menton’s contribution to Dignam fund



£1 1s

Stephen’s debt to McCann and to Russell

Dr Collins’s fee for consultation

one ton of best Abram coal


£1 5s 6d

Geraghty’s debt to Herzog


£1 6s 6d

one pair of shepherd’s plaid trousers


£1 7s

Price of 'springers' sold by Joe Cuffe


£1 7s 6d

Bloom’s commission from Freeman’s Journal


£1 10s 9d

tailcoat


£2

dummy piano, 2 octaves (£2 10s 3 octaves)


£2 2s

Shem’s dress suit (brandnew)


£3 3s

Stephen’s debt to Koehler


£3 12s

Stephen’s monthly salary as teacher


£3 13s 6d

Philip Beaufoy’s fee for story

suggested price of corpse in Bloom’s fantasy


£4

(‘six marks’) fine for scribicide (or 9d)


£5

prize in Answers competition

Bloom’s proposed State gift to newborn child


£5 5s

Rumbold’s fee for execution


£6

Mary Driscoll’s annual salary as housemaid


£6 6s

Fieldglasses with Goerz lenses


£8 8s

Kathleen Kearney’s promised fee as accompanist


£9

Stephen’s debt to Mulligan


£10 10s

Stephen’s debt to Curran


£12

annual rent for Sandycove Martello Tower


£18 14s 6d

Bloom’s bank balance at end of 1903


£21

mantle in Barnardo’s


£28

valuation of 80 Eccles Street


£33

Stephen’s school prize


£42

valuation of Bloom’s ideal home


£50

Glynn’s annual salary as organist

Prize purse in Keogh/Bennett boxing match


£68 5s

lute from Arnold Dolmetsch


£100

Boylan’s win on Keogh/Bennett boxing match


£300

Bloom’s proposed annual income for all


£500

damages for shock


£900

value of Bloom’s Canadian stock


£1,000

value of Ascot Gold Cup


£1,200

price of Bloom’s ideal home


£3,000

Money prize added to Ascot Gold Cup


£10,000

Ben Dollard’s business losses

damages sought by Denis Breen for postcard


£1,000,000

Supposed government prize for squaring the circle



U 6.294

SH 137

U 8.69

U 8.74-5

U 16.273-4

D: Counterparts

U 18.346

U 17.1439

U 10.116-17, U 17.1461, W 80.34

U 10.863



D: Two Gallants



U 1.442

U 1.724, U 5.308

U 17.579-80

U 10.699

U 10.837

U 10.306, U 17.466

U 11.1003

U 12.682

U 16.1700

U 16.1700

U 15.4016



U 4.180, U 17.1458

U 3.195

U 5.546

U 17.1471

U 12.39-40

U 7.942-3



U 5.511

U 18.6-7 (ANS: 8½d a quart)

U 17.1470

U 17.1473

SH 243



FW 142.1-2



U 8.367-8

U 8.926-7

U 16.167

SH 207

D: Eveline

FW 69.17-18



FW 71.28



U 8.776, 17.1764



U 18.1554-5



U 8.368-9

FW 69.18-19



FW 14.22



U 18.1155



U 14.1065-6

D: Araby

U 1.156 (ANS)

U 16.168-70

FW 6.1

FW 8.5-6

-


FW 49.4

FW 219.3-4

FW 281.L17-21



FW 54.31-2



U 17.356-7 (ANS)



U 7.939



U 17.1460



U 8.171, 15.914-5

U 11.1002



U 13.84 (ANS)



U 2.256, 9.1084

U 6.286-7

U 18.1016

U 13.871

D: A Mother

U 17.308 (1s 11d: FW 325.4-5)

U 10.526

U 10.1136



U 13.160-1

U 14.1502-3



U 13.85-6 (ANS)




D: Clay



U 4.452-3

U 18.63

U 11.867

U 12.1224

U 9.93-95 (English Cat. Books)

FW 329.29



U 11.111



U 5.507

U 4.399 (ANS)



U 7.119, 8.1057

U 8.128-9

U 13.1235-6

U 12.38

D: The Dead

FW 438.22

FW 465.24, 520.12-16



U 13.14-15 (ANS)



FW 166.6-8



FW 83.1-2



U 18.455-6 (ANS)



U 13.725-6



U 18.946

U 18.1289

U 10.648

U 10.974-6, 11.805, 17.1462



U 16.509



U 11.1263-4

D: Counterparts



D: Eveline

U 15.546

U 12.1069



U 17.1828



U 13.14 (ANS, cheapest style)



U 18.1497

U 17.1582



U 2.257

U 6.934

U 15.1985-6, 15.3453

SH 223

P 5

U 16.209-10

U 17.1535



U 2.258

U 10.744

U 15.3188-91



D: A Little Cloud



U 8.90-2, 17.586

FW 70.1-2



U 18.448



U 4.425



D: A Boarding House

D: The Dead

U 17.1817



U 11.1076-7



U 15.550-1



U 12.1088

U 6.569




U 2.25, 2.257

U 18.1109

U 17.128-9



U 12.41



FW 396.17-18



U 6.392-3



U 17.1459



FW 396.18



U 11.842-3 (ANS)



FW 182.25-6



U 2.258



U 2.222, 16.177



U 4.505

U 6.773-5



FW 14.22



U 11.1024

U 8.383-4



U 12.428-9



U 15.868



U 8.554



D: A Mother



U 2.255



U 2.256



U 17.1862-3



U 17.1862-3



P 103



U 4.236



P 102



U 17.1501




U 5.396-7

U 10.1134-5, 12.960-1



U 16.1766



U 12.942



U 16.1133-5



U 15.647



U 17.1864-5



U 16.1277



U 17.1661



U 16.1277



U 11.1014

U 8.262-3, 12.261



U 15.2401, 17.1696-7


John Smurthwaite


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