Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | £135.78 | £6.79 | £0.57 | £13,578 |
| 1821 | £154.23 | £7.71 | £0.64 | £15,423 |
| 1822 | £178.49 | £8.92 | £0.74 | £17,849 |
| 1823 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
| 1824 | £154.23 | £7.71 | £0.64 | £15,423 |
| 1825 | £131.29 | £6.56 | £0.55 | £13,129 |
| 1826 | £139.35 | £6.97 | £0.58 | £13,935 |
| 1827 | £148.47 | £7.42 | £0.62 | £14,847 |
| 1828 | £152.75 | £7.64 | £0.64 | £15,275 |
| 1829 | £154.23 | £7.71 | £0.64 | £15,423 |
Money in the 1820s
This was a decade of falling prices after the long war boom. Britain went back to paying out gold for banknotes in 1821, and money held its value well.
Prices fell about 12% between 1820 and 1829. These figures compare the cost of everyday goods and services. Wages, house prices and the size of the economy all grew at different rates, so a 1820s salary or fortune would look bigger still if compared with what people earn or own today.
Source: Office for National Statistics composite price index (CDKO), Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are rounded.
Other decades: 1800s · 1810s · 1820s · 1830s · 1840s · 1850s · 1860s · 1870s · 1880s · 1890s · 1900s · 1910s · 1920s · 1930s · 1940s · 1950s · 1960s · 1970s
Common questions
How much was £1 in 1820 worth today?
About £135.78 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1825 worth today?
About £131.29 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1825 worth today?
About £6.56. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.