Regency Reader Questions: The Price of Books (Updated)

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Regency Reader Question
What was the price of a book in the regency period?

Source of Question Research
Additional comments I have been researching and have only been able to come up with that they were expensive, but no one has mentioned costs.

Thanks for the excellent question, BritGirl!

I have snipped a couple of ads from various years to show prices:

These are from 1817:

This day is published in svo price 1s 6d sewed AN ACCOUNT of the MEANS by which Admi ral HENRY of Rolvenden in Kent has CURED the RHEUMATISM a Tendency to GOUT the TIC DOULOUREUX the CRAMP and other Disorders and by which a Cataract in the Eye was removed with Engravings of the Instruments made use of in the several Operations practised by Ad miral Henry London Printed for John Callow Medical Book seller 10 Crown court Prince's street Soho NB Where may be had the following interest ing Books relating to Health 1 HINTS for the Recovery and Preservation of Health 2d Edition with Additions sewed os 6d 2 WADD'S Cursory REMARKS on Corpulence or Obesity considered as a Disease with a Criti cal Examination of Ancient and Modern Opinions relative to its Causes and Cure 3d Edition con taining a reference to the most remarkable Cases that have occurred in this country svo boards 5s 3 DAUBENTON'S OBSERVATIONS on In digestion in which is satisfactorily shewn the Ef ficacy of Ipecacubana in relieving this as well as its connected Train of Complaints peculiar to the Decline of Life Translated from the French 4th Edition with additional Notes and Observations by Dr Buchan 12mo boards 2s 6d 4 VINDICATION of Natural Diet 12mo sew ed 1s 6d 5 CORNARO'S L GUIDE to HEALTH and LONG LIFE By LEWIS CORNARO a no ble Venetian who by attending to rules herein de scribed repaired a debilitated constitution retained health and activity to extreme old age and declares that to be the pleasant season of life Sewed is fine paper 28 6 WEBSTER'S FACTS tending to shew the Connection of the Stomach with Life Disease and Recovery Sewed 1s 6d 7 TISSOT'S GUIDE to HEALTH and LONG LIFE or Advice to Families being a Treatise upon the Disorders produced by the dangerous ef fects of a secret and excessive Venery among Youths of both Sexes Sewed 3s 6d LACKINGTON'S CATALOGUE This day was published price 1s 6d THE FIRST PART of a VERY EXTENSIVE and VALUABLE COLLECTION of BOOKS Containing the Classes Books of Prints and other costly Works Atlasses Maps and Plans English History Biography and Topography Books rela ting to Scotland and Ireland Foreign and General History Antiquities Voyages Travels Biography & c Miscellanies Moral Philosophy Criticism Education Political Science Law Periodical Wri tings Romances and other Works of Fiction & c & c which are now on Sale at very low prices for ready money by Lackington Hughes Harding Mavor and Jones Finsbury square London The Second Part of this Catalogue will be pub lished in the ensuing month and the remaining Por tions as early as they can be passed through the Press Libraries purchased or exchanged on the most li terms This day is published in five large volumes price 27 s 6d HOWARD CASTLE or A ROMANCE FROM THE MOUNTAINS By A NORTH BRITON Printed for AK Newman and Co Leadenhall st The following will appear this summer A Bride and No Wife by H Rouviere Moss 4 vols The Deserter by the author of Montreithe Husband Hunters & c 4 vols Beauchamp or The Wheel of Fortune 4 vols The Bandit Chief or The Lords of Urvino 4 vols Anti Delphine by Mrs Byron second edition 2 vois Modern Times or The World we live in by Mrs Heline second edition 3 vols Jessy or The Rose of Donald's Cottage by the author of The Bravo of Bohemia & c 4 vols ADVERTISEMENTS RAMSGATE AND ITS HARBOUR June 1st was published by H MOSES 6 Upper Thornhaugh street Bedford square A DESCRIPTION OF RAMSGATE illustra ted with twenty four picturesque plates represent ing the Town Harbour and Shipping from different points on the piers which are accurately marked out in the plan so that the exact spot from whence the views are taken may be found This work is particularly recommended to the frequenters of Ramsgate and those who make landscape and ma rine drawing their study as it will unite the prin ciples of design to the most minute and accurate representation Large copy 12s small ditto 8s

From 1807:

tion at Boydell and Co's The original Works of Hogarth containing 107 large Plates in one volume atlas folio boards may be had of Messis Boydell and Co No 90 Cheapside price 20 Guineas or 21 Guineas accompanied by an interesting and accurate description of the plates in 2 vols 8vo by John Ireland Separate Prints are sold at the prices in the Catalogue of his Works

K DOMESTIC COOKERY This Day is published in a neat and closely printed Volume small Octavo containing Ten useful Plates price 7s 6d in boards a new Edition of 4 A NEW SYSTEM of DOMESTIC COOKERY formed upon principles of Economy and adapted to the use of private Families To which are prefixed Mis cellaneous Observations for the Use of a Mistress of a Family The whole tending to unite elegance with economy and to produce the same appearance with less expensive means This Edition is improved by the introduction of many excellent Receipts and th Miscellaneous Observations which form the principal Novely of this Work and which have been found so exceedingly useful are aug mented with numerous and improved Remarks which render this part of the Work infinitely serviceable to a lady desirous of directing the proper regulations of her household There are also added a Chapter upon Corving wherein plain rules are given for attaining that useful art illustrated by several appropriate En gravings Cookery for the Sick Receipts for Cleaning Furniture and Directions for Ser vants The Whole is the genuine work of a lady who formed it for the use of her own family Printed for John Murray Fleet street and J Hard ing St James's street London and A Constable and Co Edinburgh It is sold also by every Bookseller throughout the Empire 678 This day is published elegantly printed in small 8vo with an Engraving after a design by Westall price 7s 6d in boards the Third Edition of ROMANCES consisting of a Persian a Roman and an Arcadian Romance By I D ISRAELI Printed for John Murray Fleet street London and A Constable and Co Edinburgh Of whom may be had by the same Author 1 Literary Miscellanies Second Edition 12mo 4s 6d boards 2 Curiosities of Literature Fifth Edition 2 vols 8vo 11 1s boards This Day is published In 2 vols small 8vo price 7s 6d in boards 679 THE POSTHUMOUS WORKS of Mrs CHA PONE containing her correspondence with Mr Richardson on the subject of Parental Authority and Filial Obedience a Series of Letters to Mrs Eliz Carter and some Fugitive Pieces never before pub lished To these is prefixed an Authentic Life of the Author drawn up BY HER OWN FAMILY Printed for John Murray Fleet street London A Constable and Co Edinburgh

The s in these cases is shillings and the d stands for pence.  I have some resources for conversion here: Regency Money – Regency Reader

Using resources, books seemed to range between $30 to several hundred or 25 GBP to 200 GBP.  Variation appears to depend on size, number of illustrations, and number of volumes.

Here is a bit of debate about printing and publishing from 1817 that speaks a bit to price:

Reasons for a further Amendment of the Act 54 Geo III c 156 being an Act to amend the Copyright Act of Queen Anne By Sir Egerton Brydges Bart MP Not published 1817 astonishment that America stood in no need of his presumed superior skill and abilities A reasonable time will disclose other facts in the mean while it deserves notice that books with all other means of science are imported into America THE regulations thought proper by the Legislature to be adopted in refer duty free the consequences cannot long ence to the trade of Book selling and to the Copyright of Authors have already engaged our attention Every body fully acquainted with the hazardous circum stances of that branch of commerce which depends on Literature knew at the time that it was in no condition to struggle with additional burthens Since that statute was passed we have seen concealed The commercial adventure of publish ing books has till within these few years been too heavy for authors to aug ment the weight of that adventure by any means whatever is contrary to sound policy To oblige a publisher of any work to deliver gratis so large a number of his performance as eleven copies has already had the effect of preventing publications and will prevent many more they may be got up ABROAD this country is not the place for them But this forced donation falls peculiarly heavy on editions of works printed in small numbers as are all re prints of ancient and scarce books the curiosity of which is usually their value This says Sir Egerton is in the proportion specimens of works from foreign presses which have contributed strongly to con firm opinions then delivered Our Go vernment does not know but we know that the American press has executed works which have come to our hands since that time in very good style both as to paper and print and pronounced by our workmen equal to the English that a certain work which cost in Eng of land nearly eight thousand pounds to execute it has been reprinted in Ame rica and that commissions for the ear liest procurable copies of works to be obtained at any price have been lett in London Neither is it publicly known that it has been an object of contempla tion to print the letter press of works in America retaining the copper plates in England whereby the whole of that in dustry which might be put in motion or kept in motion by the literature of such undertaking is lost to this country Neither will even the ornamental part long continue to be retained here We are acquainted with young painters who having taken their studies in Lon don have returned to America where they have acquired popularity and insti tuted Exhibitions what shall hinder them from directing their talents to the branch of literary decoration We know also that no less than sixty en gravers are now established in that coun try and that one of our best master copper plate printers lately went over from London to America in hopes of taking a lead in consequence of his re putation in Britain but he found to his 22 per cent where 50 copies are taken 11 44 100 250 2 1 5th500 & c The amount in value of books delivered since the enactment of the statute the price of each exceeding 20s has been in twenty two months 5 0271 The amount of books claimed is 8 6621 6s 4d The addition this tax will make to the prices must ultimately fall on the consumer so that the in creased dearness of English printed books will operate more strongly than ever in favour of foreign presses When too late to be remedied this will be felt very heavily With this sentiment we close our notice of a pamphlet drawn up on the instant for perusal of the members of the House of Commons previous to an in tended motion by the writer whose proposal went to enact that eleven copies should be demandable when the edition printed was large say 750 or 1,000 copies and that reprints new editions and editions of small numbers should be liberated from this grievous exaction

Hope that helps answer your inquiry!

**I have updated this post because I noted some of the sources were displaying unrelated content.

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