Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | £143.12 | £7.16 | £0.60 | £14,312 |
| 1841 | £145.74 | £7.29 | £0.61 | £14,574 |
| 1842 | £158.86 | £7.94 | £0.66 | £15,886 |
| 1843 | £178.49 | £8.92 | £0.74 | £17,849 |
| 1844 | £178.49 | £8.92 | £0.74 | £17,849 |
| 1845 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1846 | £163.77 | £8.19 | £0.68 | £16,377 |
| 1847 | £145.74 | £7.29 | £0.61 | £14,574 |
| 1848 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
| 1849 | £178.49 | £8.92 | £0.74 | £17,849 |
Money in the 1840s
The “Hungry Forties” brought hard times and food shortages, but also the Penny Post (1840), railway mania, and the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, which let cheaper grain into the country.
Prices fell about 20% between 1840 and 1849. 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 1840s 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 1840 worth today?
About £143.12 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1845 worth today?
About £170.82 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1845 worth today?
About £8.54. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.