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
See also Sam Slote's article on Stephen's liquidity
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