[Bell Historians] Cost of 1669 Bell Metal

[Robert Lewis]

At 11:33 16/02/2011, DrL wrote:

>Does anyone have a feeling for the value of bell 
>metal in 1669.  I have discovered a reference to 
>£38-3-10 of good bell metal and £8-0-0 of coarse 
>bell metal having been retrieved from St Magnus 
>the Martyr after the Great Fire of London, and I 
>am trying to get a handle on how much metal that represents.

I imagine that £38 was a very great deal of money 
in 1669 - can anyone on the list do the 
calculation as to what that represents in today's money?

There was an item on Radio 4 news this morning 
which reported that theft of copper cabling in 
the UK is at an all-time high. Apparently the 
police are setting up a special task-force unit to try to tackle it.

RAL