Shilling - Ram's Head, Coin Type from Australia - detailed information

The Australian Shilling is a silver coin which was used in the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalisation. It has the same dimensions and composition as the British pre-decimal shilling, from which it is derived (for a time, the coins circulated in parallel and were interchangeable in Australia - but not in the United Kingdom). A shilling is equal to 1/20th of a pound, or 12 pence.

The reverse of the first type of Australian shilling coins featured the 1908 Coat of Arms. In 1938, this new design superseded it - featuring a merino ram's head; the old type of coins remained in circulation.

The coins were mostly struck by the Melbourne Mint, but during World War II its production was supplemented by coinage produced by the United States Mint:
- Melbourne Mint, 1938 - 1963, no mint mark
- United States Mint, San Francisco, 1942 - 1944, with S mint mark
- Perth Mint, 1946 only, dots before and after the denomination: .SHILLING. for mint mark

The coins were made of sterling silver (composition: 0.925 silver) until 1946; this was later debased to 50% silver while retaining the same design.

After decimalisation on 14 February 1966, the shilling was re-denominated as 10 cents and continued to circulate for a time, along with the new 10¢ coins which were the same size and weight but made of copper-nickel. Even though they were practically withdrawn from circulation in 1966, the shilling coins were never formally demonetised and are still legal tender as 10 cents; of course, their intrinsic (silver) value is much more than that.