Prices from the 14th century

Categories: Minting - Numismatics

The data are mostly from the 14th century (some from the first half of the 15th century), documented in writing - but take them with a grain of salt. They come from different places and refer to goods of different quality. I am preparing a similar price list from French sources and here the composition of prices is quite different.

In Bohemia at that time, the basic monetary system was as follows:
1 gold ducat = 16 Prague groschen, 1 groschen = 12 parvus (correct mn.parvi, singular parvus)
1 hryvnia = 253g of silver = 64 groschen,
kopa = 60 pieces (of anything)

Want to find some historical coins too? Check out our metal detectors.

The prices are converted to the price of a cow according to the old custom. This makes it much easier for today's man to find his way around.

For comparison:
In 1916, a cow (500 kg) cost about 1,650 - 1,700 crowns.
In 1919, a cow cost up to CZK 8 000, a sheep CZK 310, a goat CZK 500 and a piglet CZK 300. A kilo of beef cost 20 CZK at the butcher's.
Today, prices range from CZK 22 500 to CZK 32 500 per head (a 500 kg cow).

Item price in groszy corresponding number of cows
daily minimum for food at least half a penny -
a half-pound loaf of bread 4 parva -
a day's wage for a bricklayer about 1 gr. -
hen 1.5 gr. -
cushion or pillow stuffed with hay 1-3 gr. -
daily wage of a master mason 2-3 gr. -
strawman 2-4 gr. -
knife 2-4 gr. -
shovel 3-4 gr. -
chair 4-5 gr. -
coarse peasant boot about 5 gr. -
burial sacrament 4-6 gr. -
axe 6 gr. -
leather belt 6 gr. -
60 iron-tipped crossbow bolts 7 gr. -
undershirt 7-8 gr. -
chair 7-8 gr. -
36 litres of wheat (from the farmer) 8-10 gr. -
wheel 10-13 gr. -
60 steel-tipped crossbow bolts 12 gr. -
plough 12 gr. -
a pair of solid leather boots about 13 gr. -
a bag of plain linen averaging 14 gr. -
half a kilo of wool 13-17 gr. -
barley for horses for 40 days 15 gr. -
tablecloth (depending on decoration) 17-30 gr. -
brass teapot (depending on size and decoration) 17-35 gr. -
550 litres of beer (depending on quality and location) 25-42 gr. -
helmet 30 gr. 0,6
lead bullet for rifle 30 gr. 0,6
price of a good cow 46 gr. 1
helmet with visor 48 gr. 1
loom under 1 kopa gr. about 1
plain shorts 1 pile gr. 1,25
skirt (2 metres of fabric) about 1 pile gr. 1,25
ox 64 gr. 1,3
ring sling for helmet over 1 kopa gr. over 1,25
hunter's annual salary 1,5 kopecks gr. (+ food) 1,9
annual farm rent 1-2 kopecks gr. 1,25-2,5
ribber 1-2 kopecks gr. 1,25-2,5
chest with lock 1-2 kicks gr. 1,25-2,5
multicoloured tunic or dress 1-2 kopecks gr. 1,25-2,5
removal of the municipal cesspit (5500 l) about 2 kop gr. 2,5
sword from 2 kop gr. upwards at least 2,5
fur-lined souk coat about 3 kop gr. 4
silk veil about 3 kop gr. 4
plain armour 4 kicks gr. 5
stallion about 6 kicks gr. 7
bombard shot (bullet, powder, work) 6-7 kick gr. 7-9
a simple three-room house 7-11 kop gr. 9-14
armour (Milanese work) 8 kop gr. 10
Terraced 8-9 kop gr. 10-12
house in the New Town of Prague around 15 kop gr. 19
war horse about 20 kop gr. 25
price of better rope land 15-25 kop gr. 19-31
two-storey terraced house in the town 17-22 kop gr. 22-29
university studies (4 years) 24 kop gr. 30
luxury belt decorated with gold and stones 25 kop gr. 31
house in the New Town of Prague 30-50 kop gr. 38-63
two-storey town house with workshop 30-55 kop gr. 38-72
price of a respectable landed estate 50-60 kop gr. 63-75
knight's armour about 75 kop gr. around 94
property of the richest bourgeois (wealthy?) 100 kop gr. 125
exhibition burgher's house on the square 111-350 kop gr. 145-157
bombarda 320 kop gr. 418
Decree of the Landšperský manor around 500 kop gr. per year around 625

And then a handful of data from Western Europe.

As of 1337, this proportional system of currencies based on ducats is given:

1 English pound = 600 ducats
1 English mark = 125 ducats
1 English shilling = 50 ducats
1 English groat = 10 ducats
1 English penny = 2.5 ducats
1 fr. livre tournois = 133 ducats
1 fr. livre parisi = 75 ducats
1 fr. livre bordelaise = 120 ducats
1 fr. crown = 50 ducats
1 Florentine florin = 300 ducats
1 Venetian lira = 100 ducats
1 Castilian real = 5.7 ducats

note 1 ducat is said to be roughly equivalent to 1 USD (1994).
From the second half of the 14th century, we have data on English soldiers' pay on the French campaigns of the Hundred Years' War. For comparison: at that time a kilo of bread cost about 1 d., a carpenter's weekly wage was 100-150 d. and the minimum annual income was set at 500-600 d, a parish priest's annual income was 3-4,000 d., a farmer's annual income was 1-2,000 d.
90 days' pay for 90 days' service
pawn 1 000 d.
an archer with a short bow 1 000 d.
carpenters, diggers, etc. 1 000 d.
Freeman archer with longbow 1 200 d.
Italian crossbowman 1 500 d.
Light Horse Rider 1 500 d.
cavalryman in armour 2 400 d.
Knight leading 20-50 men 5 000 d.
troop of 20-50 men 40-100 000 d.
Master of Siege Works 10 000 d.
Nobleman in charge 100-500 men 12 0000 d.
squad of 100-500 men 200 000-1 000 000 d.
Nobleman leading 1,000-5,000 men 25 000 d.
troops + training 1 - 2 000 000 d.
The construction of the tower in 1180-90 cost 2,400,000 ducats.

There is also evidence of the ransom paid for the French captured at the Battle of Azincourt.
captured ransom who captured
M. de Corpe 220 000 d. an archer and two armed men
Armsman 8 000 d. Sir Robert Laurence
Armsman 8 000 d. Sir Robert Laurence
Armsman 16 000 d. Unknown
Armed Man 3 000 d. Armed men
gunman 650 d. Archer
Unknown 360 d. Archer

The budget of the English court in 1307-1337:

Revenue:

Customs duties 3 800 000-14 600 000 d.
Taxes 9 600 000 d.
income from mines 2 100 000 d.
other fees 1 200 000 d.
ransom from military service 7 200 000 d.
Church tithe 11 100 000 d.
income from Aquitaine 3 000 000 d.
loans 7 200 000-12 000 000 d.
Total 36 200 000-51 800 000 d.
Expenditure:
peace tribute 18 000 000-21 000 000 d.
war expenditure 30 000 000-48 000 000 d.
Total 48 000 000-69 000 000 d.
Data taken from the website of Roman Vaverka : www.myschwerk.webzdarma.cz.

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tady je ještě něco - http://www.p-numis.ic.cz/ceny.htm

DÍKY ,toto jsem hledal,a nebylo by tam něco když se používal krejcar?

To je fakt dost dobrý a krásně poučný, díky... :-)

Opravdu pekně udělaný. Dávám 1*

Dost dobrý, dík.

Zajímavý a poučný přispěvek! Dík.

Krásnej článek.Dlouho jsem hledal hodnotu groše,kteký se mi poštěstilo najít.Tak nemam ani na jednu slepici.

Ceny z říše snů a fantazie:



zde na webu v Eshopu : White´s Spectrum DFX 30.000 kč (1.875 dolaru)

v USA v Eshopu : White´s Spectrum DFX 5.600 kč (350 dolaru)

Že by dukát měl hodnotu jednoho dukátu - to je nesmysl. Pokud nejde o záměnu dukátu za denár, byla hodnota dukátu v 19. stol. asi 1000-2000Kč, ve starších dobách ještě více. Od 4.stol do 15.stol. byla hodnota zlata celkem srovnatelná. Žoldnéř dobře vycvičený si mohl přijít na cca 2 dukáty za měsíc, tj. dnešních cca 10000Kč.

čau, pěknej článek. díky

Opravdu hodne zajimavy clanek. Jen by me zajimalo, kolik v te dobe lide platili dane. A hadam, ze dojdem k tomu, ze ve stredoveku se vlastne zilo lepe nez dnes :oD

Odkaz na P-NUMISMATIKU již neplatí, zde je nová kapitola http://p-numis.ic.cz/index.php?get=kapitola21

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