BIGGLES BOOK ORIGINAL PRICES

Please scroll down

Until decimalization on Monday 15^th February 1971, Britain had a currency system where there were 240 pennies to a pound and twenty shillings to a pound. A shilling was therefore worth 12 pennies. Pre-decimalization, a sum would normally be written in Pounds, Shillings, Pence (written as £ S D). A Guinea was one pound and one shilling (21 shillings). There was a one pound note and also a ten shilling note. A "Crown" was 5 shillings but never generally used. They were only minted for special occasions. A "Half Crown" was 2 shillings and 6 pence. A "Florin" was 2 shillings and a "Double Florin" 4 shillings (although this was only minted for four years from 1886 to 1890 and hardly ever used thereafter). A "Sixpence" was referred to as a "tanner" in slang and a "Shilling" was also referred to as a "bob". A three penny coin - "Threepence" was pronounced "Thrupence" and two single penny coins making "Twopence" was pronouced "Tupence". A "Ha'penny" was half a penny and a "Farthing" was a quarter of a penny. Coins after decimalization carried the term "New Pence" (removed in 1982) to differentiate them from old, pre-1971 decimal coins.

TITLE	ORIGINAL PRICE	OLD PENNIES	DECIMAL PRICE
1. The Camels are Coming - 1932	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
2. The Cruise of the Condor - 1933	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
3. Biggles of the Camel Squadron - 1934	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
4. Biggles Flies Again - 1934	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
5. The Black Peril - 1935	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
6. Biggles Learns to Fly - 1935	4d	4 old pennies	1.66p
7. Biggles Flies East - 1935	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
8. Biggles Hits the Trail - 1935	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
9. Biggles in France - 1935	4d	4 old pennies	1.66 p
10. Biggles & Co - 1936	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
11. Biggles in Africa - 1936	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
12. Biggles - Air Commodore - 1937	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
13. Biggles Flies West - 1937	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
14. Biggles Flies South - 1938	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
15. Biggles Goes to War - 1938	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
16. Biggles Flies North - 1939	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
17. The Rescue Flight - 1939	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
18. Biggles in Spain - 1939	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
19. Biggles - Secret Agent - 1940	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
20. Biggles in the Baltic - 1940	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
21. Biggles in the South Seas - 1940	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
22. Biggles Defies the Swastika - 1941	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
23. Biggles Sees it Through - 1941	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
24. Spitfire Parade - 1941	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
25. Biggles in the Jungle - 1942	5 Shillings and 0 d	60 old pennies	25.0 p
26. Biggles Sweeps the Desert - 1942	5 Shillings and 0 d	60 old pennies	25.0 p
27. Biggles - Charter Pilot - 1943	5 Shillings and 0 d	60 old pennies	25.0 p
28. Biggles in Borneo - 1943	5 Shillings and 0 d	60 old pennies	25.0 p
29. Biggles Fails to Return - 1943	5 Shillings and 0 d	60 old pennies	25.0 p
30. Biggles in the Orient - 1945	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
31. Biggles Delivers the Goods - 1946	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
32. Sergeant Bigglesworth CID - 1947	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
33. Biggles' Second Case - 1948	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
34. Biggles Hunts Big Game - 1948	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
35. Biggles Takes a Holiday - 1949	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
36. Biggles Breaks the Silence - 1949	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
37. Biggles - Air Detective - 1950	2 Shillings and 6 d	30 old pennies	12.5 p
38. Biggles Gets His Men - 1950	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
39. Another Job for Biggles - 1951	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
40. Biggles goes to School - 1951	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
41. Biggles Works it Out - 1951	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
42. Biggles Takes the Case - 1952	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
43. Biggles Follows On - 1952	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
44. Biggles and the Black Raider - 1953	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
45. Biggles in the Blue - 1953	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
46. Biggles of the Special Air Police - 1953	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
47. Biggles in the Gobi - 1953	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
48. Biggles Cuts it Fine - 1954	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
49. Biggles and the Pirate Treasure - 1954	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
50. Biggles Foreign Legionnaire - 1954	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
51. Biggles Pioneer Airfighter - 1954	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
52. Biggles in Australia - 1955	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
53. Biggles' Chinese Puzzle - 1955	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
54. No Rest For Biggles - 1956	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
55. Biggles Takes Charge - 1956	7 Shillings and 6 d	90 old pennies	37.5 p
56. Biggles of 266 - 1956	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
57. Biggles Makes Ends Meet - 1957	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
58. Biggles of the Interpol - 1957	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
59. Biggles on the Home Front - 1957	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
60. Biggles Presses On - 1958	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
61. Biggles on Mystery Island - 1958	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
62. Biggles Buries a Hatchet - 1958	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
63. Biggles in Mexico - 1959	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
64. Biggles' Combined Operation - 1959	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
65. Biggles at World's End - 1959	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
66. Biggles and the Leopards of Zinn - 1960	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
67. Biggles Goes Home - 1960	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
68. Biggles and the Poor Rich Boy - 1961	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
69. Biggles Forms a Syndicate - 1961	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
70. Biggles and the Missing Millionaire - 1961	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
71. Biggles Goes Alone - 1962	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
72. Orchids for Biggles - 1962	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
73. Biggles Sets a Trap - 1962	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
74. Biggles Takes it Rough - 1963	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
75. Biggles Takes a Hand - 1963	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
76. Biggles' Special Case - 1963	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
77. Biggles and the Plane that Disappeared 1963	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
78. Biggles Flies to Work - 1963	2 Shillings and 6 d	30 old pennies	12.5 p
79. Biggles and the Lost Sovereigns - 1964	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
80. Biggles and the Black Mask - 1964	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
81. Biggles Investigates - 1964	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
82. Biggles Looks Back - 1965	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
83. Biggles and the Plot that Failed - 1965	8 Shillings and 6 d	102 old pennies	42.5 p
84. Biggles and the Blue Moon - 1965	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
85. Biggles Scores a Bull - 1965	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
86. Biggles in the Terai - 1966	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
87. Biggles and the Gun Runners - 1966	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
88. Biggles Sorts it Out - 1967	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
89. Biggles and the Dark Intruder - 1967 (paperback)	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
90. Biggles and the Penitent Thief - 1967	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
91. Biggles and the Deep Blue Sea - 1968	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
92. The Boy Biggles - 1968	3 Shillings and 0 d	36 old pennies	15.0 p
93. Biggles in the Underworld - 1968	10 Shillings and 6 d	126 old pennies	52.5 p
94. Biggles and the Little Green God - 1969	12 Shillings and 0 d	144 old pennies	60.0 p
95. Biggles and the Noble Lord - 1969	12 Shillings and 0 d	144 old pennies	60.0 p
96. Biggles Sees too Much - 1970	12 Shillings and 0 d	144 old pennies	60.0 p
97. Biggles Does Some Homework - 1998	£18.50		1850.0 p
98. Biggles - Air Ace - 1999	£19.50		1950.0 p
99. Comrades in Arms - 1947	6 Shillings and 0 d	72 old pennies	30.0 p
100. The Biggles Omnibus - 1938	3 Shillings and 6 d	42 old pennies	17.5 p
101. The Biggles Flying Omnibus - 1940	4 Shillings and 0 d	48 old pennies	20.0 p
102. The Third Biggles Omnibus - 1941	4 Shillings and 6 d	54 old pennies	22.5 p
103. The First Biggles Omnibus - 1953	12 Shillings and 6 d	150 old pennies	62.5 p
104. The Biggles Air Detective Omnibus - 1956	12 Shillings and 6 d	150 old pennies	62.5 p
105. The Biggles Adventure Omnibus - 1965	18 Shillings and 0 d	216 old pennies	90.0 p

HERE IS A LINK TO “THE REFERENCE CATALOGUE OF CURRENT LITERATURE 1940” PUBLISHED BY WHITAKER – I HAVE HIGHLIGHTED JOHNS’ WORK AND THE PRICES

This list has been complied from my own collection and information from other collectors. It will be helpful in determining whether or not a certain book has a first edition wrapper.

It is interesting to note that an entire set of first edition Biggles books could have been bought for a total of £31 pounds, 10 shillings and 2d.

If one adds on the price of the six 'Omnibus' editions and 'Comrades in Arms' then the total would be £34 pounds 11 shillings and 2d

which is STILL LESS than the £38.00 it would have cost to buy the last two books published in February 1998 and May 1999!

If anybody thinks there are any errors with these prices then please e-mail me by clicking here

IF YOU WISH TO SEE A LIST OF THE ORIGINAL PRICES OF ALL OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN BY W. E. JOHNS JUST CLICK HERE

RETURN TO THE MAIN BIGGLES INDEX PAGE