A complete and accurate price table would be virtually impossible to
compile. Some of these averages represent only single individual
quotations, or the average of only two or three such quotations. These
charts are intended to give the reader a general picture of the prices
during the Colonial period.
Year Average Price Average Price Pounds Exported
per Lb. per Cwt.
1615 3s 2,300
1617 3s 20,000
1618 3s 41,000
1619 3s 44,879
1620 2s 6d 40,000
1621 3s 55,000
1622 3s 60,000
1623 2s
1625 2s 4d
1626 3s 500,000
1628 3s 6d 500,000
1629 1,500,000
1630 1d 1,500,000
1631 6d 1,300,000
1632 6d
1633 9d
1634 1d
1637 9d
1638 2d
1639 3d 1,500,000
1640 12d 1,300,000
1641 2d 1,300,000
1642 2d
1644 1-1/2d
1645 1-1/2d
1649 3d
1651 16s
1652 20s
1655 2d
1656 2d
1657 3d
1658 2d
1659 2d
1660 2d
1661 2d
1662 2d
1664 1-1/2d
1665 1d
1666 1-1/5d
1667 1/2d
1669 20s
1676 1-1/2d
1682 1-1/5d
1683 2d
1684 1/2d
1685 2-1/2d
1686 1-1/5d
1688 18,295,000
1690 1d
1691 2d
1692 1d
1695 1-1/2d
1696 1-1/5d
1697 1/2d 22,000,000
1698 20s 22,000,000
1699 20s 22,000,000
1700 10s average
1701 average
1702 20s
1704 2d 18,000,000
1706 1/4d
1709 1d 29,000,000
1710 1d
1713 3s
1715 2s
1716 11s
1720 1d
1722 3/4d
1723 1d
1724 1-1/2d
1727 9d
1729 10d
1731 12s 6d 34,000,000
1732 9d 34,000,000
1733 2d 34,000,000
1736 2d 34,000,000
1737 9d average
1738 3d average
1739 2d average
1740 34,000,000
1744 2d 47,000,000
1745 14s 38,232,900
1746 2d 36,217,800
1747 37,623,600
1748 16s 8d 42,104,700
1749 2d 43,880,300
1750 15s 43,710,300
1751 16s 43,032,700
1752 2d 43,542,000
1753 20s 53,862,300
1754 45,722,700
1755 2d 42,918,300
1756 20s 25,606,800
1757 3d
1758 3d 22,050,000
1759 35s 55,000,000
1760 55,000,000
1761 22s 6d 55,000,000
1762 11d 55,000,000
1763 2d 55,000,000
1764 12s 6d 55,000,000
1765 3d 55,000,000
1766 4s average
1767 3s 10d average
1768 22s 6d average
1769 23s average
1770 25s average
1771 18s average
1772 20s average
1773 12s 6d average
1774 13s average
1775 3-1/4d 55,000,000
1776 12s 14,498,500
1777 34s 12,441,214
1778 70s 11,961,333
1779 400s 17,155,907
1780 1,000s 17,424,967
1781 2,000s 13,339,168
1782 36s 9,828,244
1783 40s 86,649,333
1784 30s 10d 49,497,000
1785 30s 55,624,000
1786 19d 60,380,000
1787 15d 60,041,000
1788 25s 58,544,000
1789 15d 58,673,000