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Collectors Guide

George VI Shillings

The George VI shilling (one shilling) was struck from 1937 to 1952 and features the traditional English and Scottish reverse designs used throughout the reign. The series includes both silver and cupro-nickel issues following the 1946 debasement, making it an interesting area for collectors. This page provides a complete reference to George VI shillings, including specifications and collecting insights.

Introduction

The George VI Shilling was struck from 1937 to 1951 in both English and Scottish reverse types, continuing the dual-reverse tradition introduced at the start of the reign. This page provides an overview of the George VI Shilling series, including both reverse types, the 1946 English reverse variety, alloy changes, legend modifications, and year-by-year reference images.


Three main changes punctuate the series: the introduction of a revised English reverse in 1946, the replacement of .500 silver with copper-nickel in 1947, and the removal of IND IMP from the obverse legend in 1949. Collectors building a complete date-and-type run across both reverses will find the copper-nickel issues particularly challenging in top grade, as the shilling circulated well into the 1980s as the decimal 5 pence.

  • 1st Coinage (1937–1945) – Both English and Scottish reverses struck in .500 silver; English Reverse A throughout.
  • 2nd Coinage (1946) – The English shilling transitions to Reverse B mid-year, creating a two-variety issue for 1946. The Scottish shilling continues unchanged.
  • 3rd Coinage (1947–1948) – Both types struck in copper-nickel; design otherwise unchanged.
  • 4th Coinage (1949–1951) – IND IMP removed from the obverse legend across both reverse types.

Look out for the inverted die axis error variety of the 1943 English shilling – they are not illustrated here because the design is not changed, but they do exist and they are rare.

Coinage Details

English and Scottish Reverses — The English reverse, designed by George Kruger Gray, shows a crowned lion standing on a shield; the Scottish reverse shows a crowned lion seated within a double tressure flory-counter-flory. Both types were struck each year from 1937 to 1951, and both are equally collected. The 1937 and 1947 Scottish shillings carry a stop after the date — an unexplained quirk that is simply one of those small mysteries that make the series worth studying.


1946 English Reverse Variety — In 1946, the English reverse was revised. Reverse A has a narrow rim, with the I of IND and the I of SHILLINGS each pointing between beads. Reverse B has a wider rim, with those letters pointing to a bead. Both varieties exist for 1946; from 1947 onward, only Reverse B was used. No equivalent variety is recorded for the Scottish shilling in 1946.


Copper-Nickel Issues (1947–1951) — The switch to copper-nickel in 1947 and the long subsequent circulation of these coins as decimal 5p pieces means that mint-state examples from the post-1947 dates are genuinely difficult to source. Collectors are also advised to watch for the inverted die axis error variety of the 1943 English shilling — rare, and not illustrated in most references, but confirmed to exist.

George VI English Shillings

1937 English Shilling 1937
1938 English Shilling 1938
1939 English Shilling 1939
1940 English Shilling 1940
1941 English Shilling 1941
1942 English Shilling 1942
1943 English Shilling 1943
1944 English Shilling 1944
1945 English Shilling 1945
1946 English Shilling 1+A 1946 1+A
1946 English Shilling 1+B 1946 1+B
1947 English Shilling 1947
1948 English Shilling 1948
1949 English Shilling 1949
1950 English Shilling 1950
1951 English Shilling 1951

George VI Scottish Shillings

Why is there a stop after the date on the 1937 and 1947 Scottish shillings? I don't know :)

1937 Scottish Shilling 1937
1938 Scottish Shilling 1938
1939 Scottish Shilling 1939
1940 Scottish Shilling 1940
1941 Scottish Shilling 1941
1942 Scottish Shilling 1942
1943 Scottish Shilling 1943
1944 Scottish Shilling 1944
1945 Scottish Shilling 1945
1946 Scottish Shilling 1946
1947 Scottish Shilling 1947
1948 Scottish Shilling 1948
1949 Scottish Shilling 1949
1950 Scottish Shilling 1950
1951 Scottish Shilling 1951

Specifications

Years Issued 1937–1951
Diameter 23.5 mm
Weight 5.66 g
Edge Reeded
Alloy
  • (1937–1946) - Silver 50%, Copper 40%, Nickel 5% & Zinc 5%
  • (1947–1951) - Copper 75% Nickel 25%
Obverse Designer Thomas Humphrey Paget
Reverse Designer George Kruger Gray

Year-by-Year Reference

1937

1937 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1937 English Shilling Obverse 1937 English Shilling Reverse
1937 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1937 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1937 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1938

1938 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1938 English Shilling Obverse 1938 English Shilling Reverse
1938 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1938 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1938 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1939

1939 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1939 English Shilling Obverse 1939 English Shilling Reverse
1939 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1939 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1939 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1940

1940 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1940 English Shilling Obverse 1940 English Shilling Reverse
1940 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1940 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1940 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1941

1941 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1941 English Shilling Obverse 1941 English Shilling Reverse
1941 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1941 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1941 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1942

1942 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1942 English Shilling Obverse 1942 English Shilling Reverse
1942 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1942 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1942 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1943

1943 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1943 English Shilling Obverse 1943 English Shilling Reverse
1943 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1943 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1943 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1944

1944 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1944 English Shilling Obverse 1944 English Shilling Reverse
1944 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1944 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1944 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1945

1945 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1945 English Shilling Obverse 1945 English Shilling Reverse
1945 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1945 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1945 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1946

1946 English Shilling – Reverse A
Obverse Reverse
1946 English Shilling Reverse A Obverse 1946 English Shilling Reverse A Reverse
  • Narrow rim
  • I of IND points between beads
  • I of SHILL points between beads
1946 English Shilling – Reverse B
Obverse Reverse
1946 English Shilling Reverse B Obverse 1946 English Shilling Reverse B Reverse
  • Wider rim
  • I of IND points at a bead
  • I of SHILL points at a bead
1946 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1946 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1946 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1947

1947 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1947 English Shilling Obverse 1947 English Shilling Reverse
1947 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1947 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1947 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1948

1948 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1948 English Shilling Obverse 1948 English Shilling Reverse
1948 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1948 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1948 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1949

1949 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1949 English Shilling Obverse 1949 English Shilling Reverse
1949 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1949 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1949 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1950

1950 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1950 English Shilling Obverse 1950 English Shilling Reverse
1950 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1950 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1950 Scottish Shilling Reverse

1951

1951 English Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1951 English Shilling Obverse 1951 English Shilling Reverse
1951 Scottish Shilling
Obverse Reverse
1951 Scottish Shilling Obverse 1951 Scottish Shilling Reverse

References

Attributions and variety identifications for the George V Halfcrown series are based principally on the standard published references listed below. These works form the core framework for catalogue numbering, die classification, and comparative study.

  • Coins of England and the United Kingdom
  • ESC – English Silver Coinage
  • Bull – English Silver Coinage since 1649
  • Davies – British Silver Coins since 1816
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