Unit of currency formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other British Commonwealth countries, as well as much of the British Empire
This article is about coinage. For other uses, see Shilling (disambiguation).
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A 1933 UK shilling
1956 Elizabeth II UK shilling showing English and Scottish reverses
The shilling is an historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and other British Commonwealth countries.
The word shilling comes from Old English "Scilling", a monetary term meaning twentieth of a pound, from the Proto-Germanic root skiljaną meaning 'to separate, split, divide', from (s)kelH- meaning 'to cut, split.' The word "Scilling" is mentioned in the earliest recorded Germanic law codes, those of Æthelberht of Kent.
There is evidence that it may alternatively be an early borrowing of Phoenician
