# shilling

/ˈʃɪɫɪŋ/ (US) · /ʃˈɪlɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/shilling
Updated: 2026-05-08

## Definition

a British coin used in the past. It was worth twelve pennies, and twenty of them made one pound.

For teachers: a former British unit of currency and coin, equal to one-twentieth of a pound sterling or twelve pence. Withdrawn from circulation following decimalisation in 1971.

## Examples

- The old man found a silver shilling in his garden.
- Before the currency changed in 1971, you could buy quite a lot with a single shilling.
- Historical ledgers from the Victorian era often record the weekly wages of domestic servants in shillings and pence, reflecting a rigid social and economic hierarchy.

## Usage notes

- Commonly used in historical contexts or literature set before the 1970s.

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