Shilling, King George IV Third Issue, Coin Type from United Kingdom - detailed information

The pre-decimal shilling (1s), also abbreviated in sums as e.g. 1/- for one shilling, was a unit of currency equalling one twentieth of a pound sterling, or twelve pence sterling; the "s" in the abbreviation is not from "shilling" but from "sestertius" - the Roman coin which was the ancestor of the denomination. It was used in the United Kingdom, and earlier in Great Britain and England.

The third type of shilling coins struck during the reign of King George IV) was issued from 1825 to 1829 only. Its design is the same as the sixpence coin issued between 1826 and 1829; they only differ by their size and weight (the shilling is exactly double the weight of the sixpence). The new reverse by William Wyon depicts the Lion of England standing on the crown of St Edward. The coins feature a new obverse too, also by William Wyon, showing an older portrait of the king.

The composition is Sterling Silver (0.925 silver) and the coins have 0.1682 oz ASW (ounce of Absolute Silver Weight). When the currency became decimal in 1971, shillings were re-denominated as five new pence; they remained legal tender until 1990, when a smaller type of five pence replaced them.