This is my reworking of the medieval price list at Medieval Prices into a form easy to use in RPGs, particularly D&D-likes. I’ve based it on a silver economy, since I like gold to be rare enough that a chest of gold is a fabulous treasure, not a couple month’s living expenses. You can change it back to standard D&D just by reading the numbers as gold and cp as silver. These prices represent approximately 1/4 the prices listed in the reference, since they’re calculated in four-pence pieces to make them large enough for carrying, and in some cases adjusted slightly to better fit existing RPG price lists or to give prices for some common things adventurers want to buy that weren’t on the list.
Except where noted, prices in this list are given in silver pennies about 24mm diameter (1/60 of a pound), roughly the size of a quarter.
The most common gold coin is worth 10 silver pennies, and weighs about 3.5 grams (about the size of a $5 American gold eagle, 1/10th of an ounce), roughly the size of a dime. A gold coin about the size of a quarter would weigh (and be worth) five times as much, or near enough for RPG work. This conveniently puts an ounce of gold as being worth 100 silver pieces.
A copper farthing (where used) is worth 1/20 an SP would have weighed about six pennyweights, and been the size of an old Australian or British penny (31mm diameter).
| Armour | |
| Cloth Gambeson | 10 |
| Leather | 15 |
| Courbouilli | 25 |
| Scale | 150 |
| 300 | |
| Brigandine | 325 |
| Partial plate | 420 |
| Plate armor, complete | 500 |
| Plate (of Proof) | 600 |
| Bascinet Helmet, with lining | 50 |
| Board & Lodging | |
| College/boarding school, per week | 6 |
| Inn, London- beds, per night | 3cp |
| Inn, rural- meal with drinks | 5cp |
| heat and light private chamber | 3cp |
| beds for gentlemen, per night | 2 cp |
| beds for servants, per night | 1cp |
| hot bath | 5cp |
| stabling and fodder (per horse) | 4cp |
| Rent, cottage, per year | 15 |
| craftsman’s house | 60 |
| merchant’s house | 150 |
| Building construction | |
| Church, 1251, stonework only | 6750 |
| cathedral | 125,000+ |
| Cottage, 2storey- w. material free | 120 |
| Hall & chamber, modest (-labour only, materials from estate) | 720 |
| Hovel, from materials available | 30 |
| Wooden gatehouse, with drawbridge | |
| -with materials from estate | 320 |
| -plus value of materials | 960 |
| Stone gatehouse, in modest private castle | |
| -with materials from estate | 1,000 |
| -plus value of materials | 1,800 |
| Tower (in large royal castle) | 12,000 |
| Well, per fathom deep | 4.5 |
| Buildings & real estate | |
| Row house (in York, well built) | 300 |
| Craftsman1s house, with shop, workers quarters, and tile roof | 720 |
| Merchant’s house, in large city | 1,800 |
| House with a courtyard, 2 | 5400 |
| Guildhall in large city (hall, 2 chambers, buttery, pantry, kitchen) | 8,150 |
| Clothing | |
| Prices listed are for plain, standard-quality. Apply modifiers for | |
| expensive materials, fine workmanship, and so forth. | |
| Belt, weapon | 5cp |
| Boots, pair | 2 |
| Chemise, linen | 2 |
| Cloak, woolen | 9 |
| ” fur-lined | 19 |
| Gown (long), woolen | 9 |
| Gloves * | 7cp |
| Hat | 2.5 |
| Kirtle, woolen | 6 |
| Purse | 4cp |
| Quiver, red leather | 2.25 |
| Robe, woolen | 9 |
| Scarf | 2cp |
| Shoes, pair | 1 |
| Surcoat, linen | 6 |
| Trousers*, woolen | 5 |
| Tunic (short)/doublet | 6 |
| Underlinen | 3 |
| Clothing modifiers | |
| Dyed, dear (scarlet, green, black) | x1.6 |
| ” rare (purple, royal blue) | x2 |
| Fur lining, cheap | +20 |
| ” luxury furs | +120-180 |
| Fine cloth | x2 |
| Shoddy (recycled rags) | x0.4 |
| Silk | x12 |
| Household furnishings | |
| Basin & ewer | 4-8 |
| Blanket, woolen | 4 |
| Bottle | 8cp |
| Bowl, earthenware | 1cp |
| Candles, tallow, in the country, per lb. | 4cp |
| ” tallow, in a large city, per lb. | 5cp |
| ” wax, per lb. | 16cp |
| Chair | 1 |
| Chest | 15cp |
| 2 large, for clothes | 6 |
| Coffer (strongbox) | 3 |
| Cup, earthenware | 1cp |
| 2 glass | 7cp |
| Ewer, metal (brass?) | 25cp |
| Knife, eating | 5cp |
| Mattress, straw | 5cp |
| Mirror, silvered | 6 |
| Padlock | 3 |
| Pillow | 3cp |
| Plate, earthenware | 1cp |
| Pot, cooking, ceramic | 1cp |
| 2 brass, large | 8cp |
| Sheet, linen | 2cp |
| Stool | 8cp |
| Towel | 15cp |
| Table | 15cp |
| Information and Instruction | ||
| (a pecia is approx. 7,500 words,the Bible is about 100 pecia) | ||
| Books, per pecia | 2.5 | |
| Book rental, per pecia per year | 2cp | |
| Fencing instruction, per month | 30 | |
| Tuition, monastery school, per year | 120 | |
| “, private schoolmaster | 40 | |
| Tuition, University, basic courses | 120 | |
| ” fashionable lecturers, etc. | 300+ | |
| Livestock | |
| Capon | 5cp |
| Calf, weaned | 2.5 |
| Cow | 18 |
| ” good milker | 30 |
| Duck | 2cp |
| Donkey or mule* | 70 |
| Falcon, trained gerfalcon | 12 |
| ” trained goshawk | 15 |
| Fowl (hen) | 1cp |
| Goose | 7cp |
| Horse, riding hack | 75+ |
| ” pony* | 75+ |
| ” trained for horse-archer | 120+ |
| ” draught horse | 300+ |
| ” palfrey | 420+ |
| ” hunter* | 525+ |
| ” trained destrier | 2,400+ |
| Ox | 27 |
| Pig (in breeding country) | 6 |
| ” (in a large city) | 9 |
| Pigeons (4) | 2.5 |
| Sheep (in breeding country) | 25cp |
| ” (in a large city) | 4.25 |
| Precious items | |
| Necklace, gold | 20 |
| ” pearl | 70 |
| Ring, gold setting with diamonds | 450 |
| ” gold setting with ruby | 80 |
| Spoon, silver | 7 |
| Provisions | |
| Ale, per gallon | 1cp |
| Bacon, per side | 2cp |
| Bread, 2 loaves (24 oz?) | 1cp |
| Cider, per tun | 15 |
| Cheese, retail, per lb | 5cp |
| ” whole, 80 lb | 10 |
| Eggs, per dozen | 1 |
| Fish, herrings, per dozen | 2 |
| ” Pike, whole, 31 long | 20 |
| ” Sturgeon, per barrel | 99 |
| Fruit, figs, per 3 lb | 1 |
| ” pears, 10 | 1 |
| ” pomegranate, 1 only | 15cp |
| Gingerbread, per lb | 15 |
| Grain, barley, per quarter | 5 |
| ” oats, per quarter | 4 |
| ” wheat, per quarter | 9.5 |
| Ham, whole | 4 |
| Onions, 1 bushel | 2 |
| Partridges, per brace | 1 |
| Raisins, per lb | 5cp |
| Salt, per bushel | 8cp |
| Spices, per lb up to | 42 |
| Sugar, per lb | 3 |
| Wine, fine claret, per tun (252 gal.) | 120 |
| ” best, per gallon | 1-2 |
| ” cheapest, per gallon | 5cp |
| To feed a lord, per day | 2 |
| ” a squire | 5cp-1sp |
| ” yeoman | 5cp-15cp |
| ” groom | 4cp-5cp |
| Services | |
| Armour, clean & de-rust | 12cp |
| ” overhaul & varnish | 4 |
| Carriage, annual maintenance | 3-9 |
| Cesspit, empty out | 20 |
| Courier, 1 horse, per 50 km or day | 3 |
| “, 2 horses, per 100 km or day | 4.5 |
| Ferry, river crossing for man & horse | 2-3cp |
| Guide, for one night | 2-3cp |
| Milling grain, per quarter | 2-3cp |
| Minstrel, to play at an inn | 2-3cp |
| ” Christmas gig at manor house | 9 |
| Stabling & care, warhorse, per day | 13cp |
| ” foal 2 | 4cp |
| Stationery | |
| Parchment, folio, per leaf | 1cp |
| Vellum 2 | 3cp |
| Wax, sealing, per lb. | 5cp |
| Tools and hardware | |
| Anvil | 60 |
| Armourer1s tools, complete | 831 |
| Auger | 8cp |
| Axe | 1 |
| Barrel | 8cp |
| Bellows, large (for forge) | 60 |
| Bucket | 1 |
| Canvas, 25 yards | 20 |
| Chisel | 1 |
| Loom and treadle | 6 |
| Pick* | 4 |
| Plow | 9 |
| Rope, light, per fathom | 1cp |
| Sand barrel (for cleaning mail) | 2.25 |
| Saw, hand* | 3 |
| Saw, cross-cut* | 8 |
| Shovel* | 4cp |
| Spade | 4cp |
| Spinning wheel (late) | 2.25 |
| Vat | 1 |
| Vise | 40 |
| Yoke | 4 |
| Vehicles | |
| Barge | 600 |
| Boat, 101 sailing | 20 |
| Carrack | 225 |
| Carriage | 80 |
| Cart, iron-bound | 12 |
| 2, wooden, unfit for long trips | 6 |
| Cutter | 25 |
| Dray/waggon, iron-shod wheels | 30 |
| Galley, 40-oared* | 2,120 |
| ” 80-oared & masted* | 3,725 |
| Wages & Incomes | |
| Labourer, per day | 3cp |
| Craftsman, per day | |
| armourer | 13cp-15cp |
| carpenter | 8cp |
| mason | 1 |
| weaver | 6cp-7cp |
| apprentice carpenter | 4cp |
| apprentice armourer | 1 |
| Landowner, per year (in GP) | |
| ” knight | 180-1800 |
| ” baron or abbot | 1200-3000 |
| ” earl/count or bishop | 2400-66,000 |
| ” King (of England) | 180,000 |
| Mercenary, per day | |
| Archer | 8cp |
| ” mounted | 1.5 |
| Knight banneret | 12 |
| Knight | 6 |
| Infantryman, armoured | 1 |
| Man-at-arms, mounted | 3 |
| Squire | 4 |
| Priest (in a chantry), per year | 280 |
| Servant, per year (plus bed & board) | |
| ” squire | 40-60 |
| ” carter, porter, groom, | 15-25 |
| falconer, messenger, etc. | |
| ” indoor and kitchen | 6-12 |
| ” boys and pages | 3-9 |
| Weapons | |
| Swords | |
| Dagger* | 1 |
| Main gauche* | 2 |
| Short sword* | 7 |
| Falchion | 3 |
| Scimitar* | 5 |
| Tulwar* | 5 |
| Rapier* | 3 |
| Sabre* | 4 |
| Broadsword* | 4 |
| Estoc* | 5 |
| Hand & a Half* | 8 |
| Claymore* | 8 |
| Two-handed sword* | 8 |
| Hafted weapons | |
| Hand axe | 1 |
| Battle axe | 2 |
| Great axe | 2 |
| Giant axe | 3 |
| Crude club | 0 |
| War club | 2cp |
| Torch | 2cp |
| Mace | 1 |
| Giant mace | 3 |
| War hammer | 1 |
| War pick | 2 |
| Flail | 1 |
| Morningstar | 1 |
| Mattock | 1 |
| Quarterstaff | 2cp |
| Buck-and-a-Quarterstaff | 1.25 |
| Sap | 1cp |
| Pole weapons | |
| Javelin | 3cp |
| Spear | 1 |
| Giant spear | 2 |
| Pike | 1 |
| Lance | 1.5 |
| Halberd | 1 |
| Poleaxe | 2 |
| Trident | 2 |
| Glaive | 1 |
| Giant glaive | 2.5 |
| Missile weapons | |
| Sling | 3cp |
| Short bow | 4 |
| Long bow | 5 |
| Composite bow | 6 |
| Giant bow | 14 |
| Crossbow | 15 |
| Cranequin for above | 10 |
| Spearthrower | 4cp |
| Blowgun | 5cp |
| Ammunition | |
| Arrows (longbow),30 | 1 |
| Bolts (crossbow), 20 | 15cp |
| Bullets, lead (sling),4 | 1cp |
| Entangling weapons | |
| Net | 8cp |
| Bolas | 1 |
| Whip | 2 |
| Anachronistic weapons | |
| Cestus | 1 |
| Garotte | 5cp |
| Shields | |
| Buckler | 5cp |
| Small round shield* | 8cp |
| Large round shield* | 1 |
| Kite shield* | 1.25 |
| Tower shield* | 2 |
| Main gauche* | 2 |
| Legal privileges | |
| Apprenticeship, guild of carpenters | 3 |
| 2 company of mercers | 12 |
| Freedom (of a city) | 10-60 |
| Marriage licence (for serf) | 3-40 |
| Membership, guild of carpenters | 10 |
| 2 company of mercers | 60 |
| 2 other guilds | 20-180 |
| Nobility, patent of | 7500 |
