How much was a squire's ransom in 1360?
The record: £16, 1360.
About $47,000 in today's gold
8 years of a farm labourer's pay.
Edward III paid it to free the young Geoffrey Chaucer. Source
Who could buy it
The lowest paid on each ladder of 1350 whose pay was enough:
In other words, out of a farm labourer's reach: more than a whole year of his pay.