How much did Lord Stanley pay for the original Stanley Cup?

Lord Stanley paid 10 guineas for the original Stanley Cup.

The trophy was purchased in London in 1892 for Lord Stanley of Preston, then Canada’s governor general. It was made by G. R. Collis and Company, a London silversmith, and was originally a silver bowl rather than the tall, multi-band trophy familiar today.

Ten guineas equaled £10 10s, or ten and a half pounds sterling. Historical sources also give an approximate contemporary value of about US$48.67. The bowl was engraved “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” on one side and “From Stanley of Preston” on the other.

Lord Stanley intended it as a challenge trophy for Canada’s leading amateur hockey club. His rules allowed each winning club to add its name and year to a silver ring at its own expense. The first Cup champion was the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893. The nickname “Stanley Cup” became common later, while the original inscription never used that name.