Shilling was a coin in the British money system. It was originally equal to 12 pence (pennies) and was 1/20 of a pound sterling. In 1971, British authorities replaced the old penny with a new one of greater value, so that 100 pence was equal to a pound. At the same time, the shilling was replaced with a five-pence coin whose value equaled that of the shilling. The coin that had served as the shilling remained in circulation as a five-pence piece until 1991. The shilling is still the monetary unit of some African countries.
