Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1861 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
| 1862 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1863 | £176.51 | £8.83 | £0.74 | £17,651 |
| 1864 | £178.49 | £8.92 | £0.74 | £17,849 |
| 1865 | £176.51 | £8.83 | £0.74 | £17,651 |
| 1866 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
| 1867 | £157.29 | £7.86 | £0.66 | £15,729 |
| 1868 | £158.86 | £7.94 | £0.66 | £15,886 |
| 1869 | £167.22 | £8.36 | £0.70 | £16,722 |
Money in the 1860s
Prices were remarkably stable. The American Civil War caused the Lancashire “cotton famine”, throwing many mill workers out of work.
Prices rose about 2% between 1860 and 1869. 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 1860s 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 1860 worth today?
About £170.82 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1865 worth today?
About £176.51 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1865 worth today?
About £8.83. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.