Uncommon: fewer than 10,000,000 minted. Sells often: 46 verified sales in the last 12 months.
1 Shilling - George V 3rd type modified effigy (1926–1927)
Circulating version: 1926 1 Farthing - George V modified effigy
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1926–1927 |
| Denomination | 1 Shilling |
| Face value | 5p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | 1990 |
| Composition | Silver (.500) (500/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 5.660g · 0.0910 t oz |
| Diameter | 23.5mm |
| Thickness | 1.60mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Bertram Mackennal |
| Rev. artist | George William de Saulles |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Uncrowned portrait of King George V facing left, legend around.
GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX
Crowned lion passant atop crown dividing date, legend above, denomination below.
FID: DEF: IND: IMP: ONE SHILLING
modified effigy Shilling market value
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Affiliatemodified effigy Shilling price history
Daily limit reachedmodified effigy Shilling value by year
1926 to 1927 · median sold prices| Year | Mintage | Circulated | Uncirculated | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | Not recorded | £5.88 | £163.43 (2) | 44 | |
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VF£12.50EF£28.00UNC£95.00
⭐ Pro: the 1926 coin's sales by grade, and the chart filtered to one year
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| 1927 | 9,262,300 | £3.69 (2) | £163.43 type | 2 | |
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VF£12.50EF£28.00UNC£95.00
⭐ Pro: the 1927 coin's sales by grade, and the chart filtered to one year
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One row for each year the 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.
modified effigy Shilling value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BU | £40.00 🔒 eBay | £40.00 (1) | – | £40.00 – £40.00 | 1 | 1 | 26-07-2026 | |
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| EF | £31.90 🔒 eBay | £31.90 (1) | – | £31.90 – £31.90 | 1 | 1 | 30-07-2026 | |
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| VF | £19.95 🔒 eBay | £4.59 | ▼12.2% | £1.60 – £40.00 | 43 | 43 | 08-10-2026 | |
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| MS-65 | £286.86 🔒 | £286.86 (1) | – | £286.86 – £286.86 | 1 | 1 | 22-06-2026 | |
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About the 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy
The 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy is a circulating 1 shilling coin issued from 1926 to 1927, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 5.66g and measures 23.5mm across. Reverse design: Crowned lion passant atop crown dividing date, legend above, denomination below.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1990), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy run from £4.59 to £287 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its silver content is worth about £3.63 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
What is a modified effigy shilling?
A shilling of 1926 or 1927 struck with a re-cut, lower relief version of Bertram Mackennal's portrait of George V. Tony Clayton calls the change very obvious, and it was made because the original portrait was hard to strike up fully on the coins.
How do I tell a modified effigy 1926 shilling from the old head?
Look at the truncation of the neck. Tony Clayton says the initials BM are smaller and placed close to the back on the modified effigy. TreasureRealm adds that the border beading reaches noticeably further in, which helps on worn coins where the initials have gone.
How many modified effigy shillings were made?
No reference separates the 1926 coins of the two portraits. For 1927 Wikipedia gives 9,262,244 shillings, which CoinVarieties assigns to this type; Coin Hunter gives 9,247,344. Shillings with the new 1927 reverse are counted separately.
Is the modified effigy shilling silver?
Yes, .500 silver, the standard adopted for British silver coins in 1920 and used until 1946. Shillings struck from 1947 onwards were cupro-nickel.
How is the 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1926 1 Farthing - George V modified effigy, not the coin found in change. At 5.66g of 50% silver it is heavier than the 2.83g copper circulating coin, so weighing it is the quickest check.
How do I identify the 1926 1 Shilling - George V 3rd type – modified effigy?
Check the weight 5.66g and diameter 23.5mm and the metal (50% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Bertram Mackennal's portrait of George V caused the Royal Mint trouble for most of the reign. The Royal Mint Museum describes it as attractive but technically unsuited to the coinage, a burden on the Mint for a generation. CoinVarieties, writing about the sixpence, says the original bust posed problems in obtaining a full strike.
During 1926 the Mint changed the obverse of the silver coins to a modified effigy in lower relief. Tony Clayton calls the difference very obvious. This third type of shilling was struck dated 1926 and 1927, in the .500 silver used since 1920, before the new reverse designs of 1927 replaced it.
No reference splits the 1926 output between the two portraits: CoinVarieties gives 22,516,000 for 1926 including the old effigy coins. For 1927 Wikipedia gives 9,262,244 shillings, which CoinVarieties assigns to this type, while Coin Hunter gives 9,247,344.
The obverse is still Mackennal's bare head facing left with GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX, but re-cut. Clayton notes that the initials BM are smaller and sit close to the back of the truncation, and TreasureRealm adds that the beaded border reaches further inwards than on the old effigy.
The reverse is unchanged from 1911: the Royal Crest, a crowned lion standing on a crown, with the date across it, FID: DEF: IND: IMP: and ONE SHILLING. The Royal Mint names George William de Saulles as the reverse designer. The edge is milled.
Collecting notes
The 1926 shilling is the date to check, since it was struck with both portraits. Find the BM on the truncation first; if wear has removed it, compare the width of the border with an old effigy coin. Every 1927 shilling with the lion and crown dividing the date is this type.
The shilling that followed has Kruger Gray's 1927 to 1936 design with the date in the legend, so it cannot be confused with this one. No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this type.
Shillings were finally demonetised from the end of December 1990, as the Royal Mint Museum records.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- 1927 Shilling (Coin Hunter coin page), Coin Hunter (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Shilling, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1926 6 pence KM-828, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1926 shilling KM-829, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George V Nickel Trial Shilling, 1924, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Shilling (British coin), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The Shilling, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George V, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of Shillings, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Old Effigy vs Modified Effigy Halfcrowns, Shillings, and Sixpence of George V, TreasureRealm (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Proclamation determining new designs for silver coins (London Gazette issue 28459, 24 January 1911), The London Gazette (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1927 shilling KM-833 (with the 1927 KM-829 figure), CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George V trial shilling, 1923 (RMM 1995), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
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