Year by year, in 2025 prices
| Year | £1 | 1 shilling | 1 penny | £100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | £169.00 | £8.45 | £0.70 | £16,900 |
| 1881 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1882 | £169.00 | £8.45 | £0.70 | £16,900 |
| 1883 | £170.82 | £8.54 | £0.71 | £17,082 |
| 1884 | £174.57 | £8.73 | £0.73 | £17,457 |
| 1885 | £180.52 | £9.03 | £0.75 | £18,052 |
| 1886 | £182.60 | £9.13 | £0.76 | £18,260 |
| 1887 | £184.72 | £9.24 | £0.77 | £18,472 |
| 1888 | £182.60 | £9.13 | £0.76 | £18,260 |
| 1889 | £180.52 | £9.03 | £0.75 | £18,052 |
Money in the 1880s
Prices kept drifting down. Falling prices hurt farmers, but people in work found their wages bought more than ever before.
Prices fell about 6% between 1880 and 1889. 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 1880s 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 1880 worth today?
About £169.00 in 2025 prices, based on the ONS composite price index.
How much was £1 in 1885 worth today?
About £180.52 in 2025 prices.
How much was a shilling in 1885 worth today?
About £9.03. A shilling was 1/20 of a pound, or 5p in decimal money.