The Victorian England Personal Economics of David Copperfield

I just finished reading David Copperfield. Before I began reading, I decided to take notes on the economics, mostly to give myself a feel for the monetary magnitudes involved whenever money was mentioned. Very roughly, one to four of their farthings seems to have been equal to a dollar now. But clothing was much less expensive than food compared to now.

My first step was to make a digest of the basic Victorian monetary terms and quantities. I expressed all the quantities in farthings, as shown below:

Term and my abbreviation	Common equivalent	Equivalent in Farthings
Farthing, f
Penny or pence, d	4 Farthings	4f
Tanner	6 Pence	24f
Shilling or Bob, s	12 Pence	48f
Florin	2 Shillings	96f
Crown	5 Shillings	240f
Pound, p	20 Shillings	960f
Guinea	About 1 pound	960f

Then as I read, I jotted down all the references to money, as shown below:

Chapter	Narrative Order	Reference	Value in farthings
1	1	D.C.'s caul was advertised for 15 guinea	14,400
1	2	D.C.'s caul finally sold at raffle to 50 members at half a crown (120f) a head, the winner to pay an additional 5 shillings (120f). The winner paid her 5 shillings (120f) all in half pence (2f) coins, though she was actually 2 ½ pence (10f) or 5 coins short.	6,110
1	3	Murdstone, as a lesson, asked D.C. To calculate 5000 double Gloucester cheeses at 4 ½ pence each. Value for one cheese:	18
5	4	Pegotty gave D.C. 3 shillings for school.	144
5	5	D.C.'s mother gave him two ½ crowns for school.	240
5	6	Waiter charged D.C. 12 farthings for a sheet of paper.	12
5	7	D.C. paid the waiter in total 9 pence including tip and (?) paper.	36
5	8	D.C. wondered if he'd be stuck at the Blue Something long enough to spend his 7 shillings remaining.	336
5	9	D.C. bought a nice little loaf of brown bread.	12
5	10	One egg and bacon probably around 4-7 pence (16f-28f)	16
6	11	Steerforth suggested spending a couple of shillings on a bottle of currant wine,	96
6	12	another shilling in almond cakes,	48
6	13	another in biscuits,	48
6	14	another in fruit,	48
6	15	In all, Steerforth's suggestions spent all D.C.'s remaining 7 shillings on a feast, which troubled 8-yr-old D.C.	84
6	16	There was a 7s, 6d ink bottle on the schoolroom mantelpiece.	360
6	17	Mr. Mell had not a sixpence to bless himself with.	24
11	18	D.C. was paid 6s per week at the age of 10 at Murdstone and Grinby bottling,	288
11	19	then D.C.'s weekly pay was increased to 7s per week.	336
11	20	D.C. paid sixpence for his dinner of meat pie and a turn at a pump.	24
11	21	D.C. breakfast was penny loaf	4
11	22	and penny worth of milk	4
11	23	Special currant pudding was 2d (8f) for same amount as 1d (4f) of another pudding.	8
11	24	D.C. often had a penny loaf,	4
11	25	or a 4d plate of red beef.	16
11	26	D.C. gave halfpenny to a waiter, and wished he hadn't taken it.	2
11	27	A pub's very best ale was 2 1/2 pence a glass.	10
11	28	If D.C. were given a shilling at any time, he spent it in a dinner or tea.	48
11	29	Micawber said if you had 20p annual income....	19,200
11	30	(D.C. had 18p annual income),	17,500
11	31	then Micawber borrowed 1s for a porter.	48
12	32	D.C. asked Pegotty for 1/2 guinea to escape to Aunt Betsy.	480
12	33	D.C. paid a young man 6d to take his trunk to the coach station.	24
13	34	D.C. sold his waistcoat for 4d.	36
13	35	D.C. sold his coat (almost) for 18d,	72
13	36	but settled for 1s 4d,	66
13	37	then D.C. refreshed himself completely for 3d.	12
13	38	D.C. was given a penny and bought a loaf of bread with it.	4
15	39	Mr. Dick gave D.C. 10s for school.	480
15	40	D.C. says in the hard days he had scraped 6d together for his daily saveloy (sausage) and beer or pudding.	24
17	41	D.C. returned 1/2 guinea to Pegotty.	480
18	42	D.C. aunt sent him 1 guinea in celebration of school progress.	960
18	43	D.C. paid 1/2 crown for a pink camellia japonica flower.	120
19	44	D.C. paid 1/2 crown to book-keeper in hopes of being considered a gentleman.	120
18	45	D.C. pictures Mr. Larkins saying, “Here are 20,000 pounds. Be happy!”	20,000,000
20	46	Rosa Dartle had a couple of thousand pounds and saved the interest each year.	2,000,000
21	47	Barkis produced a guinea for Pegotty to get a dinner.	960
22	48	Steerforth paid Miss Mowcher 5 bob to groom him.	240
23	49	Barkis likely would have sacrificed a guinea if it would have kept D.C. and Steerforth 48 more hours in Yarmouth.	960
23	50	The cost of apprenticeship at Doctor's Commons was 1000p	960,000
26	51	D.C. 's aunt gave him 90 pounds yearly plus rent and misc.	90,000
26	52	Mr. Spenlow said the best professional business was a disputed will of 30 or 40 thousand pounds.	30,000,000
26	53	Tommy Traddles said the payment of 100 pounds for the bar was “a great pull”.	96,000
26	54	Tommy Traddles got a 50 pound inheritance from the uncle he had lived with.	48,000
28	55	Tommy Traddles co-signed for 23p 4s 9 1/2d with Micawber.	22,310
35	56	D.C. dreamed he wanted to sell Dora six bundles of matches for half penny.	2
35	57	Mr. Dick earned 10s 9d on his first short week as a copyist.	516
38	58	A “scheme of the noble art and mystery of stenography” cost D.C. “ten and sixpence”	504
43	59	D.C. apparently has an “income” of 3 1/3. Pounds? Per week? “Well off”	3,360
48	60	D.C. and Dora engaged a page at six pounds ten per annum.	6260
52	61	Heep paid Micawber 22s 6d per week base pay.	1,080
52	62	Heep embezzled twelve (thousand?) six (hundred) fourteen (pounds?), two (shillings?) and nine (pence?).	12,109,572
64	63	Rev. Horace was living at 450p per year.	450,000

To the best of my judgement, it looks like a a 2012 dollar is equal to about two farthings. There are some interesting variances in the values described by Dickens that apparently are intended to highlight human inconsistencies and injustices.

The same table is shown below in order of values:

Chapter	Narrative Order	Reference	Value in farthings
11	26	D.C. gave halfpenny to a waiter, and wished he hadn't taken it.	2
35	56	D.C. dreamed he wanted to sell Dora six bundles of matches for half penny.	2
11	21	D.C. breakfast was penny loaf	4
11	22	and penny worth of milk	4
11	24	D.C. often had a penny loaf,	4
13	38	D.C. was given a penny and bought a loaf of bread with it.	4
11	23	Special currant pudding was 2d (8f) for same amount as 1d (4f) of another pudding.	8
11	27	A pub's very best ale was 2 1/2 pence a glass.	10
5	6	Waiter charged D.C. 12 farthings for a sheet of paper.	12
5	9	D.C. bought a nice little loaf of brown bread.	12
13	37	then D.C. refreshed himself completely for 3d.	12
5	10	One egg and bacon probably around 4-7 pence (16f-28f)	16
11	25	or a 4d plate of red beef.	16
1	3	Murdstone, as a lesson, asked D.C. To calculate 5000 double Gloucester cheeses at 4 ½ pence each. Value for one cheese:	18
6	17	Mr. Mell had not a sixpence to bless himself with.	24
11	20	D.C. paid sixpence for his dinner of meat pie and a turn at a pump.	24
12	33	D.C. paid a young man 6d to take his trunk to the coach station.	24
15	40	D.C. says in the hard days he had scraped 6d together for his daily saveloy (sausage) and beer or pudding.	24
5	7	D.C. paid the waiter in total 9 pence including tip and (?) paper.	36
13	34	D.C. sold his waistcoat for 4d.	36
6	12	another shilling in almond cakes,	48
6	13	another shilling in biscuits,	48
6	14	another in fruit,	48
11	28	If D.C. were given a shilling at any time, he spent it in a dinner or tea.	48
11	31	then Micawber borrowed 1s for a porter.	48
13	36	but settled for 1s 4d,	66
13	35	D.C. sold his coat (almost) for 18d,	72
6	15	In all, Steerforth's suggestions spent all D.C.'s remaining 7 shillings on a feast, which troubled 8-yr-old D.C.	84
6	11	Steerforth suggested spending a couple of shillings on a bottle of currant wine,	96
18	43	D.C. paid 1/2 crown for a pink camellia japonica flower.	120
19	44	D.C. paid 1/2 crown to book-keeper in hopes of being considered a gentleman.	120
5	4	Pegotty gave D.C. 3 shillings for school.	144
5	5	D.C.'s mother gave him two ½ crowns for school.	240
22	48	Steerforth paid Miss Mowcher 5 bob to groom him.	240
11	18	D.C. was paid 6s per week at the age of 10 at Murdstone and Grinby bottling,	288
5	8	D.C. wondered if he'd be stuck at the Blue Something long enough to spend his 7 shillings remaining.	336
11	19	then D.C.'s weekly pay was increased to 7s per week.	336
6	16	There was a 7s, 6d ink bottle on the schoolroom mantelpiece.	360
12	32	D.C. asked Pegotty for 1/2 guinea to escape to Aunt Betsy.	480
15	39	Mr. Dick gave D.C. 10s for school.	480
17	41	D.C. returned 1/2 guinea to Pegotty.	480
38	58	A “scheme of the noble art and mystery of stenography” cost D.C. “ten and sixpence”	504
35	57	Mr. Dick earned 10s 9d on his first short week as a copyist.	516
18	42	D.C. aunt sent him 1 guinea in celebration of school progress.	960
21	47	Barkis produced a guinea for Pegotty to get a dinner.	960
23	49	Barkis likely would have sacrificed a guinea if it would have kept D.C. and Steerforth 48 more hours in Yarmouth.	960
52	61	Heep paid Micawber 22s 6d per week base pay.	1,080
43	59	D.C. apparently has an “income” of 3 1/3. Pounds? Per week? “Well off”	3,360
1	2	D.C.'s caul finally sold at raffle to 50 members at half a crown (120f) a head, the winner to pay an additional 5 shillings (120f). The winner paid her 5 shillings (120f) all in half pence (2f) coins, though she was actually 2 ½ pence (10f) or 5 coins short.	6,110
48	60	D.C. and Dora engaged a page at six pounds ten per annum.	6,260
1	1	D.C.'s caul was advertised for 15 guinea	14,400
11	30	(D.C. had 18p annual income),	17,500
11	29	Micawber said if you had 20p annual income....	19,200
28	55	Tommy Traddles co-signed for 23p 4s 9 1/2d with Micawber.	22,310
26	54	Tommy Traddles got a 50 pound inheritance from the uncle he had lived with.	48,000
26	51	D.C. 's aunt gave him 90 pounds yearly plus rent and misc.	90,000
26	53	Tommy Traddles said the payment of 100 pounds for the bar was “a great pull”.	96,000
64	63	Rev. Horace was living at 450p per year.	450,000
23	50	The cost of apprenticeship at Doctor's Commons was 1000p	960,000
20	46	Rosa Dartle had a couple of thousand pounds and saved the interest each year.	2,000,000
52	62	Heep embezzled twelve (thousand?) six (hundred) fourteen (pounds?), two (shillings?) and nine (pence?).	12,109,572
18	45	D.C. pictures Mr. Larkins saying, “Here are 20,000 pounds. Be happy!”	20,000,000
26	52	Mr. Spenlow said the best professional business was a disputed will of 30 or 40 thousand pounds.	30,000,000