The respective prices per lb. of iron,[527] gun-metal,[528] and lead[529] in the second half of the fourteenth century were .856, 2.44, and .627 pennies, fourteenth century money. Multiplying by 10, to get their approximate prices in our money, we obtain:—
TABLE IX.
Comparative Prices of Metals, 1375 and 1865.
| Metal. | Price per lb., 1375, multiplied by 10. d. | Ratio. | Price per lb., 1865, d. | ||
| Iron | 8.56 | 8.5 to 5.7 | 1 to 1.5 | { | Bar iron of average quality |
| Gun-metal | 24.4 | 2.03 | 12 | ||
| Lead | 6.27 | 3.13 | 2 | ||
It will be noticed that the price of bronze, which had been brought to perfection by the ancients, and whose manufacture was independent of modern appliances, only fell to half its old price in five centuries; that the price of lead, which had some dependence on these appliances, fell to a little over one-third; while the price of iron, whose progress depended essentially upon the use of coal, scientific furnaces, &c., fell to between one-fifth to one-ninth.
The weights of (wrought) iron,[530] bronze,[531] and lead balls of 4” diameter are respectively 9.3, 10.18, and 13.8 lbs., and Master Gunner Nye informs us that the weight of a stone ball of this diameter was 3.375 lbs.[532] Therefore the respective prices of the iron, bronze, and lead balls were 7.96, 26.468, and 8.65 pence, exclusive of the cost of manufacture; while the price of the material of the stone ball was much less than a farthing.[533] Again, for powder at 13.664d. per lb.,[534] and charges one-ninth the weight of the shot, the prices of the charges for the stone, iron, bronze, and lead balls are respectively 5.12, 14.07, 15.44, and 20.496 pence. We can therefore form an estimate of the relative cost of one round with balls of the four materials.
TABLE X.
Comparative Cost of One Round, 4.25″ gun; stone, iron, bronze, and lead balls.
| Stone. d. | Iron. d. | Bronze. d. | Lead. d. | |
| Price of 4” ball | 0.25 | 7.96 | 26.468 | 8.652 |
| Price of powder | 5.12 | 14.07 | 15.44 | 20.496 |
| Cost of one Round | 5.37 | 22.03 | 41.908 | 29.148 |
| or in our money | 4s. 5-3/4d. | 18s. 4-1/4d. | 34s. 11d. | 24s. 3-1/2d. |