Great Britain Shilling 1887 to 1892

According to Wikipedia, the inscription on this and several other British coins 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' supposedly originated when King Edward III was dancing with his daughter-in-law, Joan of Kent. Her garter slipped down to her ankle, causing those around her to snigger. In an act of chivalry, Edward placed the garter on his own leg, saying in French 'Honi soit qui mal y pense', and the phrase later became the motto of the Order of the Garter. It means 'Shamed be he who thinks evil of it.'

The sixpence of 1887 looks just like these shillings, only smaller:

SIXPENCE: 18 mm diameter, 0.0895 troy ounces silver
SHILLING: 23 mm diameter, 0.1682 troy ounces silver

If you have an 1887 sixpence, please go to this CoinQuest page.

SHILLINGS 1887 TO 1892
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $35
well preserved: $100
fully uncirculated: $200
shillings dated 1887 are more common, divide these values by two

If you have a shilling dated 1889, you must determine if it is a large bust or small bust. Check this image:

Large bust shillings dated 1889 are relatively common, but the small bust variety is rare when dated 1889 (they are not rare for other dates).

SHILLINGS 1889 SMALL BUST
worn: $60 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $200
well preserved: $700
fully uncirculated: $1400

Be sure to read our Important Terminology page to understand how catalog values work.
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