Britain’s Shilling Is Spent
The ancient shilling is history. The so-called “one bob,” a coin of the realm since 1504, ceased to be legal tender Tuesday and was replaced by a smaller 5-pence coin.
Shillings--roughly the diameter of a quarter and unchanged in size since 1816--can be returned to banks for several months.
The government says it has retrieved 800 million shillings, leaving more than 4 billion still in circulation. The new 5-pence coin, about the size of a dime, is worth 9 1/2 cents.
The “bob” survived Britain’s conversion to decimal coinage in February, 1971, although new coins struck after that date were marked 5 new pence. Old shillings remained in use, including some bearing the likeness of King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II.
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