This table is representitive of the goods that one can find in the hold of a typical merchant or treasure ship. It is by no means a complete list and the values are Wholesale prices, about half of retail value. A pirate selling these items as plunder can expect to get between thirty and forty percent of Wholesale value.
Anything off the regular price lists can be found as plunder on a merchant ship.
| Sample Cargoes/Treasures |
£ |
s |
d |
US Dollars |
Notes |
| Leather shoes (from Florence) |
100 |
– | – |
$10,000.00 |
For a crate of around 200 shoes. |
| Furniture (from Paris) |
600 |
– | – |
$60,000.00 |
For a crate of around 30 pieces of furniture. |
| Fans (from China) |
400 |
– | – |
$40,000.00 |
For a crate of 800 fans. |
| Rugs (from Turkey) |
500 |
– | – |
$50,000.00 |
For a crate of 50 assorted sized rugs. |
| Books (from Europe) |
300 |
– | – |
$30,000.00 |
For a crate of 200 books. |
| Pewterware (from London) |
6 |
– | – |
$600.00 |
For a crate of 200 pieces. |
| Glassware (from Amsterdam) |
16 |
– | – |
$1,600.00 |
For a crate of 200 pieces. |
| Jewellery (from Venice) |
600 |
– | – |
$60,000.00 |
For a crate of approximately 50 pieces |
| Jewellery (from Spain) |
500 |
– | – |
$50,000.00 |
For a crate of approximately 100 pieces |
| Bar of Gold |
255 |
– | – |
$25,500.00 |
For a single 5lb bar. |
| Gold Dust |
51 |
– | – |
$5,100.00 |
For 1lb sack or tube |
| Bar of silver |
15 |
– | – |
$1,500.00 |
For a single 5lb bar. |
| Silverware |
100 |
– | – |
$10,000.00 |
A crate of approximately 200 pieces. |
| Semi-Precious gemstones |
45 |
– | – |
$4,500.00 |
loose and uncut approximately 75 gemstones,, weighing 1lb |
| Semi-Precious gemstones |
100 |
– | – |
$10,000.00 |
loose and cut approximately 100 gemstones,, weighing 1lb |
| Precious gemstones |
600 |
– | – |
$60,000.00 |
loose and uncut approximately 150 gemstones to a pound |
| Precious gemstones |
3000 |
– | – |
$300,000.00 |
loose and cut approximately 250 gemstones to a pound |
| Pearls |
230 |
– | – |
$23,000.00 |
For approximately 2,300 pearls (weighing about 1lb) |
| Ivory |
200 |
– | – |
$20,000.00 |
For a crate of about 10 tusks = 1,000lbs |
| Sandle wood (from China) |
10 |
– | – |
$1,000.00 |
For about 100lbs weight. |
| Silk |
800 |
– | – | $80,000 | Per bolt. |
| Cask of Pepper |
50 |
– | – |
$5,000.00 |
500 oz |
| Cask of Cloves |
40 |
– | – |
$4,000.00 |
|
| Cask of Rosemary |
10 |
– | – |
$1,000.00 |
|
| Cask of Ginseng |
16 |
– | – |
$1,600.00 |
|
| Cask of Medicinal herbs | 8 | – |
$800.00 |
||
| Cask of Tea 50lbs |
45 |
– | – |
$4,500.00 |
|
| Cask of Coffee 50lbs |
20 |
– | – |
$2,000.00 |
|
| Cask of Chocolate 50lbs |
12 |
– | – |
$1,200.00 |
|
| Butt of Molasses 162gal |
8 |
– | – |
$800.00 |
|
| Butt of Vinegar | – |
10 |
$50.00 |
||
| Butt of Olive Oil | 3 | – |
$300.00 |
||
| Cask of good rum |
16 |
– | – |
$1,600.00 |
|
| Cask of cheap rum |
8 |
– | – |
$800.00 |
|
| Butt of (European) Wine |
32 |
– | – |
$3,250.00 |
|
| Butt of fine European wine |
110 |
– | – |
$11,000.00 |
|
| Crate of Champagne, 12 bottles | 6 | – |
$600.00 |
||
| Butt of local fruit wine |
6 |
9 |
7 |
$648.00 |
|
| Butt of Beer | – |
13 |
– |
$65.00 |
|
| Butt of Lard 1600lbs |
12 | 19 | 3 | $1,296.00 | |
| Cask of Flour 50lbs | – |
10 |
– |
$50.00 |
|
| Cask of Sugar 50lbs | – |
5 |
– |
$25.00 |
|
| Cask of Dried Beans/peas 50lbs | – |
2 |
5 |
$12.00 |
|
| Cask of Salt 50lbs | – |
5 |
– |
$25.00 |
|
| Wheel of Cheese 100lb |
2 |
– |
– |
$200.00 |
|
| Soap, 64lbs | – |
13 |
– |
$65.00 |
|
| Candles, wax 100lbs | – |
17 |
$85.00 |
300 large candles | |
| Hogshead of Tobacco 1000lbs |
10 |
– | – |
$1,000.00 |
$1 per pound |
| Wheat/Grain 50lbs | – |
18 |
– |
$90.00 |
|
| Lead Bars 25lbs | – |
5 |
$25.00 |
||
| Iron Bars 25lbs | – |
5 |
– |
$25.00 |
|
| Cask of pickled pork 100lbs | – |
12 |
5 |
$62.00 |
|
| Cask of salted fish 100lbs | – |
10 |
– |
$50.00 |
|
| Bacon 75lbs | – |
12 |
5 |
$62.00 |
English Wine Cask Units
| measure | tuns | butts | puncheons | hogsheads | tierces | barrels | gallons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
tun |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
210 |
|
butt |
1⁄2 |
1 |
1 1⁄2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
105 |
|
puncheon |
1⁄3 |
2⁄3 |
1 |
1 1⁄3 |
2 |
2 2⁄3 |
70 |
|
hogshead |
1⁄4 |
1⁄2 |
3⁄4 |
1 |
1 1⁄2 |
2 |
52 1⁄2 |
|
tierces |
1⁄6 |
1⁄3 |
1⁄2 |
2⁄3 |
1 |
1 1⁄3 |
35 |
|
barrels |
1⁄8 |
1⁄4 |
3⁄8 |
1⁄2 |
3⁄4 |
1 |
26 1⁄4 |
|
rundlet |
1⁄14 |
1⁄7 |
3⁄14 |
2⁄7 |
3⁄7 |
4⁄7 |
15 |
Note: Gallon values are approximate. Casks are not factory produced. Each cooper builds to a design that may be slightly different from the cooper in the next village and his final product may reflect materials at hand.
