Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | £172.67 | £8.63 | £0.72 | £17,267 |
| 1901 | £172.67 | £8.63 | £0.72 | £17,267 |
| 1902 | £172.67 | £8.63 | £0.72 | £17,267 |
| 1903 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1904 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1905 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1906 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1907 | £169.00 | £8.45 | £0.70 | £16,900 |
| 1908 | £169.00 | £8.45 | £0.70 | £16,900 |
| 1909 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
Money in the 1900s
Prices began to creep up again after the Boer War. The Old Age Pensions Act of 1908 gave people over 70 a pension of up to 5 shillings a week from 1909.
Prices rose about 3% between 1900 and 1909. 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 1900s 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 1900 worth today?
About £172.67 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1905 worth today?
About £170.82 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1905 worth today?
About £8.54. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.