Why an East Indiaman's cost is hard to calculate

How much did an East Indiaman cost?

The figures appear to reach roughly ten thousand pounds, but the records are ambiguous about whether that includes the complete rig, armament, and other equipment.

The company could buy the hull from one supplier and guns from another, so a quoted ship price might represent only part of the finished vessel. Sails, fittings, and armament could sit outside the figure attached to the hull. The approximate upper figure found during the stream is therefore not automatically a ready-for-sea cost. A useful comparison requires knowing exactly which components the recorded price included.