Shilling Explained from Around the World

The shilling is a currency that's been used in various forms across the globe, with the first recorded use dating back to 16th century Scotland.

In Scotland, the shilling was originally pegged to the value of a certain weight of silver.

The German thaler, which emerged in the 16th century, is often cited as a precursor to the shilling.

In Germany, the thaler was a silver coin that circulated widely across Europe.

In East Africa, the shilling has been used since the 1920s, with Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania all adopting the currency at some point.

The East African shilling has been pegged to the British pound in the past.

The Shilling has a rich history that dates back to ancient times. The word shilling most likely comes from a Teutonic word, skel, to resound or ring.

The Anglo-Saxon poem "Widsith" mentions shillings as a unit of account, with the king of the Goths granting the speaker treasure worth six hundred pence. This suggests that shillings were used as a benchmark value for calculating goods, livestock, and property values.

In the 1500s, shillings became a coin during the reign of Henry VII, initially known as a testoon. The testoon's name and design were likely inspired by the Duke of Milan's testone.

Shillings were used in Britain until the 1970s, after which they continued in circulation as smaller denominations, with one shilling being equivalent to 5p and two shillings being equivalent to 10p.

The British shilling, also known as the Florin, was used in Australia from 1910 to 1963.

In Australia, the shilling was replaced by the 50-cent coin.

The Indian rupee was pegged to the British pound at a rate of 1 rupee to 1 shilling and 6 pence.

The Indian rupee is still used today, and its value has fluctuated over time.

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The Irish shilling was a unique coin with a distinct history. It was valued at 13 pence, earning it the nickname "black hog" in contrast to the 12-pence English shillings known as "white hogs".

The Irish shilling was introduced in the Irish Free State and Republic of Ireland, where it was known as the "scilling" in Irish language. It was worth 1/20 of an Irish pound.

The Irish shilling coin featured a bull on the reverse side. It was a significant departure from the British coin, which continued to be used in Northern Ireland.

Interestingly, the first minting of the Irish shilling, from 1928 until 1941, contained 75% silver, surpassing the equivalent British coin. This made the Irish shilling a more valuable coin in terms of its metal content.

The pre-decimal Irish shilling coin was withdrawn from circulation on 1 January 1993, when a smaller five-pence coin was introduced.

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In Australia, a shilling was a coin that was first issued in 1910, featuring King Edward VII on the face and the Australian coat of arms on the reverse.

The Australian coat of arms design was retained until a new ram's head design was introduced for the coins of King George VI, which continued until 1963.

A shilling coin in Australia was colloquially known as a "deener."

In Australia, the slang term for a shilling as a currency unit was "bob", the same as in the United Kingdom.

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New Zealand has a fascinating history when it comes to its currency. New Zealand shillings were first issued in 1933 and featured a Maori warrior carrying a taiaha on the reverse.

These coins were part of the New Zealand pound system, with twenty shillings making up one pound. The shilling was eventually replaced by a ten-cent coin in 1967.

Ten-cent coins minted during the 1960s included the legend "ONE SHILLING" on the reverse, a nod to the shilling's past. The ten-cent coin was of the same size and weight as the shilling it replaced.

In 2006, smaller ten-cent coins were introduced, marking a change from the larger coins that had been in circulation.

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In Ceylon, a shilling was equivalent to eight fanams prior to decimalisation in 1969.

Before decimalisation, a shilling was deemed to be equivalent to half a rupee in 1852.

The term "shilling" continued to be used colloquially in Ceylon until the late 20th century.

A shilling was worth 50 Ceylon cents after decimalisation in 1969.

The Ceylonese shilling had a clear conversion to the local currency, making it easier to calculate values.

The East African region has a fascinating history when it comes to currency. The East African shilling was used in several British colonies and protectorates from 1920.

In Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zanzibar, the East African shilling was the official currency until the countries gained independence. The East African shilling was also used in British Somaliland until 1960.

The East African Monetary Union broke up in 1966, leading to the introduction of new currencies in each country. The Kenyan shilling, Ugandan shilling, and Tanzanian shilling replaced the East African shilling.

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Somalia is a country with a complex currency situation, to say the least. The Somali shilling is the official currency, but it's been disrupted by the civil war that began in the early 1990s.

The Somali shilling has been the currency of parts of Somalia since 1921, when the East African shilling was introduced to the former British Somaliland protectorate. It's subdivided into 100 cents, senti, or centesimi.

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The value of the Somali shilling was further disrupted when the Central Bank of Somalia shut down operations following the breakdown in central authority. This led to rival producers of the local currency emerging.

The US dollar is widely accepted as a medium of exchange alongside the Somali shilling due to a lack of confidence in the currency. Dollarization has fueled price hikes, especially for low-value transactions.

The large issuance of the Somali shilling has contributed to inflation, but this is expected to end once the Central Bank assumes full control of monetary policy and replaces the currency introduced by the private sector.

The Somaliland shilling is the official currency of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. It's not recognized as legal tender by the international community and has no official exchange rate.

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Shilling has a rich history of being used as a unit of currency and a slang term. In the 16th century, a shilling was a coin worth 1/20 of a pound sterling.

In the UK, a shilling was also used as a slang term for a foolish or silly person. This usage is thought to have originated in the 17th century.

The phrase "shilling shocker" was a colloquialism used in the late 19th century to describe a sensational or shocking novel.

Quotations are often used to convey a sense of authenticity and informality, which is why we use them in everyday conversation.

Slang expressions like "break a leg" are actually rooted in old stage superstitions, where it was believed that it was bad luck to wish someone "good luck."

A quote like "the pot calling the kettle black" is a great example of an idiom that's been around for centuries, originating in the 17th century.

In some cultures, it's considered impolite to use direct quotes from famous people, instead opting for paraphrased versions to show respect.

Idioms like "bend over backwards" are often used to describe going out of one's way to help someone, but did you know it originated from circus performers who would literally bend over backwards to entertain the crowd?

The phrase "break a leg" is still widely used today, often in the context of wishing someone success before a performance.

The abbreviation for shilling is s (for solidus), which was often expressed by a solidus symbol (/) or a long s (ſ).

The shilling itself was equal to twelve pence, and in the traditional pounds, shillings and pence system, there were 20 shillings per pound.

Prices were often written with a solidus and a dash, as in ten shillings being written as '10/-'. Two shillings and sixpence was written as '2/6', or rarely as '2s6d' ('d' being the abbreviation for denarius, a penny).

The slang term for the old shilling coins includes "bob" and "hog", with the derivation of "bob" being uncertain, but John Camden Hotten speculates it may be connected with Sir Robert Walpole.

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